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BIBLE-STORY 

BOOK 

By Elsie E. Egermeier 


.1 



GOSPEL TRUMPET COMPANY 
Anderson, Indiana 



*£Sf s 


Copyright 1922 

by 

Gospel Trumpet Company 


DEC -9 192? 

_© Cl A 6905 18 




PREFACE 


Behind every task attempted there lies a purpose. In the writing 
of the Bible-Story Book the author has endeavored to familiarize her- 
self with the viewpoint of children and to adapt her language accord- 
ingly. With vivid recollections of the capacity of the child-mind to grasp 
and retain Scripture truths, she has labored prayerfully and conscien- 
tiously to present these stories in such a simple, direct manner that her 
youthful readers will have no difficulty in comprehending their teaching. 

The thought-life that is early trained to respect and reverence God’s 
Word becomes a powerful factor in the formation of Christian char- 
acter. Hence the importance of arresting the attention of children with 
stories from the Sacred Book. From these stories they may glean their 
first knowledge of the relationship which exists between God and man, 
broken by sin but reestablished by faith in the sacrificial offering of 
Jesus Christ. 

The author acknowledges her indebtedness especially to Blaikie’s 
Manual of Bible History for helpful suggestions as to chronological 
outlines and historical information. 

With a prayer that He who said, 6 Suffer the children to come unto 
me, ’ may in this book find a medium; to draw them to Himself, I am, 

A servant of the Lord, 

Elsie EL Egermeier. 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, August 24, 1922. 



























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CONTENTS 


PART FIRST 

STORIES ABOUT THE PATRIARCHS 

GENESIS; JOB 

Story 1 — How the World Was Made . 23 

Gen. 1:1— 2:7 

Story 2— The Story of the First Earth-Home 24 

Gen. 2:8—3:24 

Story 3 — The Story of the First Children , 27 

Genesis 4 

Story 4 — The First Great Ship and Why It Was Built _ 31 

Gen. 5:1—9:17 

Story 5 — The Tower of Babel, and Why It Was Never Finished 35 

Gen. 9:18—11:9 

Story 6 — A Man Who Heard and Obeyed God’s Call 36 

Gen. 11:27—12:20 

Story 7 — How Abram Ended a Quarrel I....... 39 

Genesis 13 

Story 8 — How Lot’s Choice Brought Trouble 40 

Genesis 14 

Story 9 — Things that Happened Inside and Outside Abram’s Tent-Home 43 

Genesis 15-17 

Story 1*0 — Strange Visitors at Abram’s Tent- Home 44 

Genesis 18 

Story 11 — What Happened to Sodom - 46 

Genesis 19 

Story 12 — The Little Boy Who Became a Great Hunter 48 

Gen. 20:1—21:21 

Story 13 — How Abraham Gave Isaac Back to God * 50 

Gen. 22:1-20 

Story 14 — How Abraham Found a Wife for Isaac...; 52 

Gen. 23:1—25:18 

Story 15 — What Two Boys Thought About Their Father’s Blessing 56 

Gen. 25:19—27:41 

Story 16 — Jacob’s Lonely Journey and His Wonderful Dreamt 59 

Gen. 27:42—29:12 

Story 17 — How Jacob Was Deceived by Laban 62 

Gen. 29:13—31:55 

Story 18 — Why Jacob’s Name Was Changed to Israel 64 

Genesis 32 — 35 

Story 19 — How Jacob’s Favorite Son Became a Slave 67 

Genesis 37 

Story 20 — Joseph a Prisoner in Egypt ~ : 71 

Gen. 37:36—40:23 

Story 21 — Joseph a Ruler in Egypt .— * 73 

Genesis 41 


5 


6 


BIBLB-STOEY BOOK 


Story 22 — How Joseph’s Dreams Came True 76 

Genesis 42 

Story 23 — Joseph Makes Himself Known to His Brothers 79 

Gen. 43:1—45:24 

Story 24 — Joseph’s Father and Brothers Come to Live) in Egypt 84 

Gen. 45:25—50:26 

Story 25 — The Story of Job 89 

Job 1:1—42:17 


PART SECOND 

STORIES ABOUT MOSES 

EXODUS; LEVITICUS; NUMBERS; DEUTERONOMY 

Story 1 — How the Child Moses Came to Live in the King’s Palace 93 

Exod. 1:1—2:10 

Story 2 — Why Moses Lived in the Wilderness ; 96 

Exod. 2:11-25 

Story 3 — How God Spoke to Moses from a Burning Bush 98 

Exodus 3, 4 

Story 4 — Moses and Aaron Talk With a Stubborn King 101 

Exod. 5:1—7:24 

Story 5 — Pharaoh Sees God’s Mighty Signs and Miracles 105 

Exod. 7:25—10:29 

Story 6 — When the Death- Angel Visited Pharaoh’s Palace 108 

Exodus 11 — 13 

Story 7 — How God Showed His Power at the Red Sea..^/ 112 

Exod. 14:1—15:21 

Story 8 — What Happened in the Wilderness of Shur 116 

Exod. 15:22-27 

Story 9 — How God Fed the Hungry People in the Wilderness ... 117 

Exodus 16 

Story 10 — How God Showed His Power at Rephidim . 120 

Exodus 17, 18 

Story 11 — The Voice from a Smoking Mountain 121 

Exodus 19 — 24 

Story 12 — The Story of a Golden Calf 1 124 

Exodus 32 

Story 13 — How God Planned to Live Among His People 127 

Exodus 34 — 43; Numbers 1 — 5 

Story 14 — The Tabernacle, Where the Israelites Worshiped God 129 

Exodus 40 

Story 15 — How the People Worshiped God at the Tabernacle 131 

Leviticus 1 — 9 

Story 16 — The Israelites Journey from Sinai to the Border of Canaan 133 

Numbers 9 — 12 

Story 17 — How Ten Men Spoiled God’s Plan * 135 

Numbers 13, 14 

Story 18 — Why God Caused the Earth to Swallow Some Israelites 139 

Numbers 16, 17 

Story 19 — Things That Happened to the Israelites During the Forty Years They 

Lived in the Wilderness 142 

Numbers 20; Deut. 2:1-15 

Story 20 — Why the Brass Serpent Hung on a Pole in the Israelites’ Camp 144 

Num. 21:4-9 


CONTENTS 


7 

Story 21 — How God Helped the Israelites When They Trusted in Him. 145 

Num. 21:12—22:2 

Story 22— What Happened to a Wise Man Who Tried to Disobey God 146 

Num. 22:1-35 

Story 23 — How Balaam Tried to Pleas© the King 149 

Num. 22:36—32:9 

Story 24 — The Last Journey of Moses _ 150 

Num. 27:12-23; Deuteronomy 34 


PART THIRD 

STORIES ABOUT JOSHUA AND THE JUDGES OF ISRAEL 

JOSHUA; JUDGES; RUTH; 1 SAMUEL 1—9 

Story 1 — How a Woman Spoiled the Plan of a Wicked King 153 

Joshua 1, 2 

Story 2 — How the Israelites Crossed Over a Dangerous River 155 

Josh. 3:1— 5:1 

Story 3 — What Happened to the Stone Walls of Jericho 157 

Josh. 5:13—6:27 

Story 4 — The Story About a Buried Sin 161 

Joshua 7, 8 

Story 5 — The Altar Where God’s Law Was Written upon Stone , 163 

Deuteronomy 27, 28; Josh. 8:30-35 

Story 6 — The People Who Fooled Joshua 164 

Josh. 9:3-27 

Story 7 — Why Joshua Spoke to the Sun and to the Moon 165 

Joshua 10 — 12 

Story 8 — How the Land of Canaan Became the Land of Israel 167 

Joshua 13 — 19 

Story 9 — How God Planned to Use Some Cities in the Land of Israel 169 

Joshua 20, 21 

Story 10 — The Story of the Altar Beside the Jordan River 170 

Joshua 22 

Story 11 — Joshua’s Last Meeting with the Israelites 173 

Joshua 23, 24 

Story 12— How God Helped the Israelites Out of Their Troubles. 174 

Judg. 1:1—3:14 

Story 13 — The Left-Handed Man Who Judged Israel 176 

Judg. 3:15-31 

Story 14 — Two Brave Women Who Helped the Israelites Out of Trouble 178 

Judges 4, 5 

Story 15 — How a Brave Man Tore Down an Altar of Baal 180 

Judges 6 

Story 16 — How the Midianites Were Surprized at Midnight 184 

Judg. 7:1—8:28 

Story 17 — The Man Who Made Himself King over Israel 186 

Judg. 8:32—10:5 

Story 18 — How a Girl Gave Her Life for Her Father’s Sin 188 

Judg. 10:6—12:7 

Story 19 — The Story of a Strong Man Who Judged Israel 191 

Judges 13 — 16 

Story 20 — How Samson Came to His Death '. 194 

Judg. 16:4-31 


8 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Story 21 — The Young Woman Who Forsook Idols to Serve God 198 

Ruth 1 — 4 

Story 22— The Little Boy Whose Mother Lent Him to the Lord > 202 

1 Sam. 1:1—3:18 

Story 23 — The Story of the Stolen Ark - 2*05 

1 Sam. 3:19—4:22 

Story 24 — How the Ark of God Troubled Dagon and His Worshipers — - 207 

1 Sam. 5:1— 7:2 

Story 25 — How Samuel Judged the Israelites 209 

1 Samuel 7, 8 


PART FOURTH 

STORIES ABOUT THE THREE KINGS OF UNITED ISRAEL 

1 AND 2 SAMUEL; 1 KINGS 1—12; 1 AND 2 CHRONICLES 1—11 


Story 1 — The Tall Man Whom God Chose to Become Israel's First King.. 211 

1 Samuel 9, 10 

Story 2 — How the Eyes of Some of Saul’s People Were Saved 216 

1 Samuel 11, 12 

Story 3 — King Saul and His People in Trouble 218 

1 Samuel 13 

Story 4 — How the Faith of a Brave Young Prince Brought a Great Victory 220 

1 Sam. 14:1-46 

Story 5 — How Sin Robbed Saul of His Kingdom 222 

1 Sam. 14:47—15:35 

Story 6 — Why God Sent Samuel to Bethlehem 224 

1 Sam. 16:1-13 

Story 7 — Why Jesse Sent David to Visit King Saul 227 

1 Sam. 16:14—17:15 

Story 8 — How David Killed the Giant Goliath _ 228 

1 Sam. 17:1-54 

Story 9 — How Saul Became David’s Enemy _ 234 

1 Sam. 17:55—18:30 

Story 10 — How Jonathan and Michal Saved David’s Life 236 

1 Sam. 19:1—20:2 

Story 11 — Why a Little Boy Picked Up Arrows for a Prince 238 

1 Samuel 20 

Story 12 — Things That Happened While David Had no Home .... 240 

1 Sam. 21:1—22:5 

Story 13 — How a Wicked Servant Obeyed a Wicked King 242 

1 Sam. 22:6-23 

Story 14 — How David Spared Saul’s Life 244 

1 Samuel 23 — 27 

Story 15 — The Unhappy Ending of Saul’s Life 248 

1 Sam. 28:3—31:13 

Story 16 — What Happened to David’s Home at Ziklag 250 

1 Sam. 29:1 — 2 Sam. 2:3 

Story 17 — When the Shepherd-Boy Became the King of Israel.... .. / 252 

2 Sam. 2:4—6:18 

Story 18 — What Happened to a Little Lame Prince When He Grew Up 254 

2 Sam. 4:4 — 9:13 

Story 19 — David’s Sin and His Punishment 
2 Sam. 11:1—12:26 


255 


CONTENTS 


9 


Story 20— The Wicked Prince Who Tried to Steal His Father’s Kingdom 257 

2 Samuel 15 — 17 

Story 21 — How the Wicked Prince Was Hung in the Boughs of a Great Oak-Tree 259 

2 Samuel 18, 19 

Story 22 — Why the Death-Angel Visited Jerusalem. 261 

2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21 

Story 23 — Why Solomon Rode Upon the King’s Mule 263 

1 Kings 1:1 — 2:12 

Story 24 — How God Spoke in a Dream to Solomon _ . 265 

1 Kings 3:3-15; 4:29-34; 10:1-13 

Story 25— The Temple of the Lord, Which Solomon Built on Mount Moriah 268 

1 Kings 5:1 — 9:9 

Story 26 — The Last Days of King Solomon 270 

1 Kings 11 


PART FIFTH 

STORIES ABOUT THE DIVIDED KINGDOM 

1 AND 2 KINGS; 1 AND 2 CHRONICLES; JONAH; JEREMIAH 

Story 1 — The Foolish Young Prince Who Lost His Father’s Kingdom 273 

1 Kings 12:1-24 

Story 2 — The Story About Two Golden Calves 275 

1 Kings 12:25—13:6 

Story 3 — Why a Prophet Was Killed by a Lion 278 

1 Kings 13:7-32 

Story 4 — What the Blind Prophet Told the Queen of Israel 280 

1 Kings 14:1-20 

Story 5 — The Story of a King Who Tried to Destroy Idol-Worship 281 

1 Kings 15:8-24; 2 Chron. 14:1—16:14 

Story 6 — Why Birds Fed a Prophet by a Brook Near Jordan 283 

1 Kings 16:29—17:24 

Story 7 — How God Showed His Great Power on Mount Carmel ,.. 287 

1 Kings 18:1-40 

Story 8 — The Little Cloud That Brought a Great Rain 291 

1 Kings 18:40—19:3 

Story 9 — What an Angel Found Under a Juniper- Tree in the Wilderness 292 

1 Kings 19:3-21 

Story 10 — Ahab and the Beggar King 295 

1 Kings 20 

Story 11 — How a King’s Pout Cost a Man’s Life 297 

1 Kings 21 

Story 12 — When Fire Fell from the Sky and Burned Up Some Wicked Men 300 

2 Kings 1 

Story 13 — The Story of a Great Whirlwind : 302 

2 Kings 2:1-18 

Story 14 — Why Two Hungry Bears Killed Some Children from Bethel 304 

2 Kings 2:19-25 

Story 15 — Elisha’s Miracle That Saved Two Boys from Becoming Slaves... 306 

2 Kings 4:1-7 

Story 16 — The Story About a Little Boy Who Died and Became Alive Again. 308 

2 Kings 4:8-37 

Story 17 — Elisha’s Kindness to the Poor 311 

2 Kings 4:38-44; 6:1-7 


10 BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Story 18— How a Little Slave-Girl Helped a Heathen Man to Find the True God. 
2 Kings 5:1-27 

Story 19 — A Little Boy Who Became King, and How He Ruled in Judah 

2 Chron. 22:11—24:27 

Story 20 — How Elisha Led His Enemies Into a Trap.—w - 

2 Kings 6:8-23 

Story 21 — Where Four Lepers Found Food for a Starving City • 

2 Kings 6:24 — 7 : 20 < 

Story 22 — The Prophet Who Tried to Run Away from God 

Jonah 1 — 1 

Story 23 — The Sad Ending of the Kingdom of Israel 

2 Kings 17 

Story 24 — The Good King Hezekiah - - 

2 Kings 18 — 20; 2 Chronicles 29 — 32 

Story 25 — The Story About a Forgotten Book 

2 Chronicles 34, 35 

Story 26 — The Weeping Prophet, and His Great Work 

Jeremiah 1 — 52 


312 

317 

319 

321 

323 

327 

329 

332 

334 


PART SIXTH 

STORIES ABOUT THE JEWS 

DANIEL; NEHEMIAH; HAGGAI; EZRA; ESTHER; MALACHI 


Story 1 — How the People of Judah Lived in a Strange Land 339 

2 Chron. 36:14-21 

Story 2 — Four Brave Boys Who Stood Before a Great King ...... 340 

Daniel 1 

Story 3 — How Daniel Became a Great Man in Babylon 342 

Daniel 2 

Story 4 — What the King Saw in the Fiery Furnace 345 

Daniel 3 

Story 5 — How God Humbled the Proud Heart of Nebuchadnezzar 347 

Daniel 4 

Story 6 — The Strange Handwriting on the Wall of the Palace 350 

Daniel 5 

Story 7 — Daniel in the Lions’ Den 354 

Daniel 6 

Story 8 — Daniel’s Angel Visitor 356 

Daniel 8 — 12 

Story 9 — The Home-Coming of the Jews 358 

Ezra 1:1 — 3:7 

Story 10 — How the New Temple Was Built in Jerusalem 359 

Ezra 3:7 — 6:22; Haggai 1, 2 

Story 11 — The Beautiful Girl Who Became a Queen 4 382 

Esther 1, 2 

Story 12 — Why a Proud Man Planned to Destroy AH the Jews 364 

Esther 3:1 — 4:3 

Story 13 — How Queen Esther Saved the Lives of Her People 366 

Esther 4:4 — 10:3 

Story 14 — Ezra the Good Man Who Taught God’s Law to the Jews 371 

Ezra 7 — 10; Nehemiah 8 

Story 15 — The Bong’s Cupbearer and His Story... ; ..... 373 

Neh. 1:1—2:18 

Story 16 — How the Walls of Jerusalem Were Rebuilt 375 

Neh. 2:19—13:31; Malachi 1—4 


CONTENTS 


11 


STORIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 

PART FIRST 

STORIES ABOUT JESUS 

MATTHEW; MARK; LUKE; JOHN 
Acts 1:1-15 

What Happened Between the Old and the New Testament 379 

Story 1 — An Angel Visitor in the Temple .-. 383 

Luke 1:1-23 

Story 2 — The Heavenly Messenger in Galilee .. 385 

Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56 

Story 3 — How the Dumb Priest and His Wife Named Their Child 388 

Luke 1:57-80 

Story 4 — The Story of a Wonderful Baby’s Birth .. 390 

Luke 2:1-39 

Story 5 — The Wise Men Who Followed a Star 394 

Matthew 2 

Story 6 — When Jesus Was a Boy Twelve Years Old 397 

Luke 2:40-52 

Story 7 — The Strange Preacher in the Wilderness. _.... 401 

Matthew 3; Mark 1:2-11; Luke 3:1-23; John 1:15-34 

Story 8 — The Temptations of Jesus . . 403 

Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-14 

Story 9 — How Five Men Became Acquainted with Jesus 405 

John 1:35-51 

Story 10 — The Wedding-Feast Where Jesus Showed His Power 4)08 

John 2:1-11 

Story 11— The Great Teacher in Jerusalem 411 

John 2:13—3:21 

Story 12 — The Tired Stranger Who Rested by a Well 414 

John 4:1-43 

Story 13 — The Story of a Man Who Had Great Faith in Jesus’ Power 416 

John 4:45-54 

Story 14 — The Angry Mob on the Hill-Top of Nazareth 418 

Luke 4:16-32 

Story 15 — Four Fishermen Who Left Their Nets to Follow Jesus 420 

Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-34; Luke 4:33—5:11 
Story 16 — How Matthew the Publican Became a Disciple of Jesus .. 424 

Matt. 9:9-13; Mark 2:14-17; Luke 5:27-32 

Story 17 — How Jesus Healed a Cripple and a Man Whose Hand Was Withered 427 

Matt. 12:1-15; Mark 2:23—3:6; Luke 6:1-12; John 5:1-18 

Story 18 — The Twelve Men Who Were Apostles . 430 

Matt. 10:2-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16 

Story 19 — The Sermon on the Mountain-Side 431 

Matthew 5 — 7; Luke 6:17-49 

Story 20 — How Jesus Healed a Man Who Was a Leper 433 

Matt. 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16 

Story 21 — How a Roman Captain Showed His Great Faith in Jesus 435 

Matt. 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10 

Story 22 — Why Four Men Tore Up the Roof of a Crowded House 436 

Matt. 9:2-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:18-26 

Story 23 — When a Widow’s Sorrow Was Changed into Joy 438 

Luke 7:11-18 

Story 24 — A Pharisee, a Sinful Woman, and the Savior. 441 

Luke 7:36-50 


12 BIBLE-STOEY BOOK 

Story 25 — Story-Sermons by the Sea 1 - 442 

Matt. 13:1-53; Mark 4:1-34 

Story 26 — The Flooded Ship That Did Not Sink, and the Wild Man Made Well 445 

Matt. 8:23-34; Mark 4:35 — 5:20; Lpke 8:22-40 

Story 27 — The Little Girl Who Died and Became Alive Again 448 

Matt. 9:18—10:42; Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:41—9:6 

Story 28 — A Boy’s Lunch-Basket, and a Great Miracle 450 

Matt. 14:13-23; Mark 6:31-46; Luke 9:7-17; John 6:1-15 

Story 29 — The Man Who Walked on the Water and Became Afrlaid. 452 

Matt. 14:23-36; Mark 6:46-56; John 6:16-29 

Story 30 — How Jesus Answered a Mother’s Prayer 454 

Matt. 15:21-29; Mark 7:24-30 

Story 31 — What a Multitude Learned About! Jesus 455 

Matt. 15:29-39; Mark 7:31—8:10 

Story 32 — The Blind Man of Bethsaida; How Peter Answered a Great Question 457 

Matt. 16:13-28; Mark 8:22—9:1; Luke 9:18-27 

Story 33 — The Glorified Master on the Mountain-Side 458 

Matt. 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36 

Story 34 — A Suffering Child, an Anxious Father, and Jesus 460 

Matt. 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-45 

Story 35 — Jesus and His Disciples in Capernaum 461 

Matt. 17:22—18:14; Mark 9:30-43; Luke 9:43-50 
Story 36 — Jesus Teaches Peter a Lesson on Forgiveness 462 

Matt. 18:21-35 

Story 37 — The Unfriendly Samaritans; The Ten Lepers 464 

Luke 9:1-62; 17:11-19 

Story 38 — Jesus at the Great Feast in Jerusalem _ 465 

John 7:2-53 

Story 39 — How Jesus Answered His Enemies’ Question 467 

John 8 

Story 40 — What Happened to the Blind Man Whom Jesus Healed 469 

John 9 

Story 41 — Little Children Are Brought to Jesus; A Young Man Goes Away Sad 472 

Matt. 19: 13-30;. Mark 10:13-31 

Story 42 — Seventy Other Disciples Sent Out; The Good Samaritan 473 

Luke 10:1-37 

Story 43 — Lazarus, the Dead Man Whom Jesus Called Out of the Grave 476 

John 11:1-54 

Story 44 — Jesus Heals the Sick, and Teaches in a Pharisee’s House 478 

Luke 14:1-24 

Story 45 — A Crooked Woman Healed; The Pharisees Try to Frighten Jesus; Parables 

by the Way 480 

Luke 13:11—15:32 

Story 46 — Four Short Story-Sermons Which Jesus Preached 483 

Luke 16, 18:1-15 

Story 47 — Happenings on the Way to Jerusalem 486 

Matt. 20:17-34; Mark 10:32-52; Luke 18:31-43 

Story 48 — The Little Man Who Climbed into a Tree to See Jesus 488 

Luke 19:1-29 

Story 49 — How Mary Showed Her Love for Jesus 490 

Matt. 26:6-16; Mark 14:3-11; John 12:1-11 

Story 50 — How Jesus Rode into Jerusalem as a King : 493 

Matt. 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-12; Luke 19:29-47; John 12:12-19 

Story 51 — The Teachings of Jesus in the Temple 497 

Matt. 21:18-46; Mark 11:12—12:12; Luke 19:47—20:19 

Story 52 — Jesus’ Last Days in the Temple 499 

Matt. 22:1—24:1; Mark 12:13—13:1; Luke 20:20—21:4; John 12:20-36 

Story 53 — Jesus’ Teaching on the Mount of Olives .. 502 

Matt. 23:37—25:46; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38 

Story 54 — The Last Supper Jesus Ate with the Twelve 504 

Matt. 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:3-39; John 13 


CONTENTS 


13 


Story 55 — How an Untrue Disciple Sold His Lord 507 

Matt. 26:36-75; Mark 14:32-72; Luke 22:39-71; John 18:1-27 

Story 56— The Darkest Day in All the World 1 511 

Matt. 27:1-54; Mark 15:1-39; Luke 23:1-47; John 18:28—19:31 
Story 57 — The Watchers at the Tomb of Jesus 515 

Matt. 27:55—28:1; Mark 15:42—16:5 
Luke 23:50 — 24:3; John 19:31—20:1 

Story 58 — When Jesus, the Crucified Savior, Arose from the Dead 518 

Matt. 28:2-16; Mark 16:5-14; Luke 24:4-12; John 20:2-18 
Story 59 — The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus; Doubting Thomas 520 

Luke 24:13-48; John 20:19-31 

Story 60 — Jesus’ Last Meeting with His Disciples by the Seashore and on the Mount 

of Olives •_ _ 524 

Mark 16:15-19; Luke 24:50-53; John 21; Acts 1:1-14 


part second 

STORIES ABOUT THE APOSTLES 

THE BOOK OF ACTS; THE EPISTLES; THE BOOK, OF REVELATION 

Story 1 — The Sound as of a Rushing Wind, and What It Brought 52S\ 

Acts 1:15—2:47 

Story 2 — The Crippled Beggar Who Received a Wonderful Gift 532 

Acts 3:1 — 4:31 

Story 3 — The Story About Two Hypocrites in the Early Church 535 

Acts 4:32—5:11 

Story 4 — When Prison Doors Swung Open by an Angel’s Touch 538 

Acts 5:12-42 

Story 5 — The Preacher Who Was Stoned to Death 540 

Acts 6:1— 8:2 

Story 6 — A Man Who Tried to Buy the Holy Spirit with Money 543 

Acts 8:1-25 

Story 7 — Philip Preaches to a Stranger on a Lonely Road .... 545 

Acts 8:26-40 

Story 8 — The Wicked Plan that Was Spoiled by a Vision of Jesus 547 

Acts 9:1-20 

Story 9 — How a Basket Was Used to Save a Man’s Life 551 

Acts 9:21-31; 22:17-21; Gal. 1:17-24 

Story 10 — A Sick Man Healed, and a Dead Woman Brought Back to Life 554 

Acts 9:32-43 

Story 11 — The Great Sheet Let Down from Heaven, and What It Taught 555 

Acts 10:1—11:18 

Story 12 — How Peter’s Coming Broke Up a Midnight Prayer-Meeting 559 

Acts 12 

Story 13 — Where Believers in Jesus Were First Called Christians 561 

Acts 11:19-30 

Story 14 — The First Missionaries in the Early Church 563 

Acts 13:1—14:7 

Story 15 — How Idol-Worshipers in Lystra Treated Barnabas and Paul 565 

Acts 14:8-28 

Story 16— A Puzzling Question, and How It Was Answered 567 

Acts 15:1-34 

Story 17 — A Call for Help From a Far-Off Land * - 569 

Acts 15:36— 16: 


14 BIBLEuSTOBY BOOK 

Story 18 — The Prayer-Meeting in Prison, and Its Happy Ending 571 

Acts 16:16-40 

Story 19 — How the Gospel Was First Preached in Other Cities of Macedonia 574 

Acts 17:1-15 

Story 20 — Paul Tells the Wise Men of Greece about the Unknown God 576 

Acts 17:16—18:23 

Story 21 — How a Great Heathen City Received th<* Gospel 578 

Acts 18:24—19:20 

Story 22 — The Uproar a Covetous Man Caused in a Great City 580 

Acts 19:21—20:4 

Story 23 — The Faithful Missionary, and His Last Farewell 583 

Acts 20:5—21:17 

Story 24 — How the Prophet’s Words Came True 587 

Acts 21:18—23:10 

StOry 25 — How a Young Man Saved His Uncle’s Life 589 

Acts 23:11—24:27 

Story 26 — A King Listens to Paul’s Story 592 

Acts 25, 26 

Story 27 — The Story of a Shipwreck 596 

Acts 27 

Story 28 — How a Chained Prisoner Brought Joy to Islanders 599 

Acts 28:1-11 

Story 29 — The Last of Paul’s Journey, and His Life in Rom© 600 

Acts 28:11-31; Philemon; Colossians; 2 Timothy 

Story 30 — Things We Learn from the Epistles 604 

The Epistles 

Story 31 — What God’s Faithful Servant Saw While He Was on a Lonely Island 606 

Revelation 1:1 — 22:21 


LIST OF PICTURES 


Page 

Adam and Eve driven from the garden (frontispiece, colored) 2 

Adam and Eve leaving beautiful Eden (full page) 26 

The sad result of Cain’s quarrel .. 29 

God talking to Cain .. 30 

The animals going into the big ark (full page)...'. 32 

The tower of Babel....'. * 36 

Abram listening to God : 38 

Abram talking with King Melchisedec (full page) : 41 

Lot and his daughters fleeing from Sodom 47 

Abraham about to -offer up Isaac 52 

Eliezer meeting Rebekah at the well 54 

Jacob’s, dream (full page, colored) opposite 60 

Jacob meeting beautiful Rachel 61 

The angel telling Jacob to let him go ..„ 65 

Joseph being sold as a slave. 69 

A modern picture of where Joseph lived when a boy, also showing his mother’s 

grave 70 

Joseph telling the meaning of Pharaoh’s dreams 75 

Joseph’s brothers bowing before him, in Egypt „ 77 

Finding the money in the sacks 78 

Joseph kissing his young brother, Benjamin 83 

Joseph’s father talking to the king (full page) 86 

The servants telling Job of his troubles ,. 90 

The Israelites as slaves in Egypt 94 

Pharaoh’s daughter finding Moses (full page, colored).... - opposite 95 

Moses and the fire in the bush 98 

Aaron’s rod swallowing the rods of the magicians 102 

A modern picture of the river that became blood (full page) 104 

Israelites sprinkling blood on their door-frame 109 

The death-angel looking for the blood-stains 110 

A modern picture of near where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea (full page) 112 

The Israelites safe, and the Egyptians being drowned (full page) 114 

Israelites gathering the bread from heaven, manna 118 

The place where the< last manna fell, Gilgal (full page) 119 

Moses breaking the tablets because of the golden calf 126 

The tabernacle, its court, etc. (full page, colored) opposite 130 

The ark of the covenant 131 

The priest Aaron and his sons 132 

The spies gathering fruit in Canaan 136 

Korah and his friends being swallowed by the earth 140 

Aaron ’s rod was the only one that grew 141 

The people looking to Moses’ serpent of brass (full page, colored) opposite 144 

Moses looking at the promised land „ 151 

The River Jordan 154 

Israelites crossing through the Jordan River .. 156 

Jericho’s walls falling down 158 

Jericho as it is now 159 

Achan confessing before Joshua „ 162 

Safely reaching a city of refuge - *. 170 

Joshua and the great stone... - 174 

Gideon and his fleece - — 183 

Gideon’s army blowing their trumpets - .. 185 

Samson killing a lion — - 192 

Samson killing the Philistines with a dry bone 193 

Samson pulling down the Philistine temple 197 

Boaz talking to Ruth 200 

Harvesting grain in Palestine, where Ruth lived (full page) 201 

Hannah bringing little Samuel to Eli r .,.... r ....... g03 


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BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Page 

The death of Eli - - - 206 

Bethlehem, the place where David once lived (full page) C 225 

David killing the lion — . - - - 230 

David gathering stones from the brook (full page) 232 

David cutting off the giant’s head 233 

King Saul throwing his spear at David - 235 

David and Jonathan - 239 

King Saul in David’s cave 245 

David and Abishai enter Saul’s camp 247 

King Saul falling upon his own sword 249 

The prophet speaking to King David . . — ~ 256 

King David sorrowing (full page, colored) opposite 260 

Wonderful pools Solomon made - - 267 

The beautiful temple Solomon built - 269 

A picture of modern Shechem, the city where Rehoboam met the people., 272 

Rehoboam refusing the old men’s counsel 274 

One of the golden calves - 276 

Bethel, where Jeroboam placed a golden calf (full page) 277 

Arabs camping near where Elijah stayed (full page) 284 

Elijah being fed by the birds 286 

Mount Carmel, where the priests and prophets met (full page) 289 

Elijah praying down fire from heaven (full page, colored) opposite 290 

The angel finding Elijah ... 293 

Naboth refusing to sell his vineyard - 298 

Elijah meeting wicked Ahab .. 299 

Ruins of the beautiful palace at Samaria 300 

Elijah going to heaven in the chariot of fire 303 

The two bears and the wicked children 306 

The boy who was dead, and his mother 310 

The captive maid tells of Elisha (full page, colored) : opposite 313 

Elisha’s servant speaking to Naaman (full page) 314 

Naaman in the River Jordan .. 316 

Crowning the boy Joash 318 

The great fish throwing Jonah onto the land..:.— : 325 

Jonah preaching in Nineveh 326 

Hezekiah spreading the letter 1 before God (full page) 331 

Jeremiah being lowered into the dungeon (full page) .. 336 

Daniel refusing the king’s food 341 

The three who refused to worship the image 345 

The fiery furnace (full page, colored) opposite 346 

Nebuchadnezzar in the fields : ^ 349 

The strange handwriting on the palace wall (full page) 351 

The men watching Daniel pray (full page). 353 

Daniel among the hungry lions . r 355 

Building the new temple ' 360 

Esther, the beautiful queen 363 

Haman leading Mordecai through the city 369 

Nehemiah examining the walls by night _ 374 

How they built the walls of Jerusalem... 376 

The hill-country of Judah, where Zacharias’ home once was (full page) 384 

Nazareth as it is today. It was in this city that the angel visited Mary, and where 

Jesus played and worked as a boy (full page) 386 

A recent picture of the hilly country where John the Baptist was born and where 

he preached (full page) , :.. * 389 

The angel talking to the shepherds in a field near Bethlehem (full page) 391 

The shepherds visiting the baby Jesus 393 

Simeon holding Mary’s baby, Jesus.... 394 

The visit of the wise men (full page, colored) opposite 396 

The well in Nazareth from which Jesus very probably drank water (full page) 398 

The boy Jesus in the temple with the wise men (full page) 40*0 

Jesus sending Satan away 404 

Jesus and the five men ,...— . .... 4Q§ 

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LIST OF PICTURES 


17 


Page 

Cana, where Jesus attended the wedding (full page) .. 409 

Jesus making wine out of water 410 

Jesus talking to Nicodemus 412 

Jesus and the woman at Jacob’s well : 415 

Jesus preaching in the synagog at Nazareth „ .-. 418 

Fishermen at the Sea of Galilee mending their nets (full page) 421 

Euins of ancient Capernaum (full page)... 426 

Jesus healing the withered hand , 429 

Jesus and the twelve apostles .. 430 

Jesus bringing to life the widow’s son (full page) 439 

On the stormy sea 445 

Jesus feeding the five thousand (full page, colored) opposite 451 

Peter beginning to sink . 453 

Peter paying the money taken from the fish’s mouth 461 

The village of Siloam 470 

The little children and Jesus (full page, colored)... opposite 472 

The good Samaritan and the wounded man 475 

Jesus healing the woman ... 481 

Lazarus at the rich man’s gate 484 

Jesus calling to Zacchaeus 489 

Bethany, where Mary lived (full page) 491 

Jesus "triumphantly entering Jenisalem...... : 494 

The 11 Golden Gate,” through which Jesus rode. It has been elosed for many years.... 495 

The Garden of Gethsemane as seen from Jerusalem (full page) 508 

Judas kissing Jesus 509 

Pilate with Jesus before the angry Jews . 512 

Judas throwing down the money 513 

Where Jesus died (full page, colored) opposite 514 

The tomb where perhaps Jesus was buried (full page) 516 

Angels on the way to Jesus’ tomb : 519 

Jesus and Mary . 520 

Emmaus, where Jesus ate with the two after his resurrection (full page) 521 

Jesus appearing on the shores of Galilee 525 

The Mount of Olives, from which Jesus went up to heaven .. 527 

The coming of the Holy Spirit .. 530 

The crippled beggar walking with Peter and John 533 

Bringing their treasures to the apostles 536 

The sad death of Ananias ,. 537 

Stephen being killed with stones 542 

Philip teaching the man from Ethiopia 546 

The north gate of Jerusalem, through which Saul no doubt passed. It is called the 

Damascus Gate (full page) 548 

Saul struck down 550 

Saul escaping in the basket 1 - 552 

Peter and what he saw 556 

Peter telling Cornelius about Jesus : 558 

Peter being delivered from prison (full page, colored) ..opposite 560 

Old wall of Antioch, where disciples were named * 1 Christians ” 7 562 

The jailer with Paul and Silas after the earthquake 573 

Mars Hill, where Paul preached 576 

Euins of an ancient idol-temple - 581 

A theater of Paul’s time 582 

Ephesians bidding Paul good-by ~ 584 

Tyre, where Paul met with brethren 586 

Paul being bound - — * 588 

Paul speaking before King Agrippa 1 v - 593 

Paul’s ship wrecked in the Mediterranean 597 

The Appian Way, which Paul traveled to Eome 601 

The ruins of Eome’s ancient forum, where justice was administered 603 

John’s vision on the Isle of Patmos (full page, colored) opposite 607 


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STORIES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 

SIX PARTS 

Part First 

STORIES ABOUT THE PATRIARCHS 
Part Second 

STORIES ABOUT MOSES 
Part Third 

STORIES ABOUT JOSHUA AND THE 
JUDGES OF ISRAEL 

Part Fourth 

STORIES ABOUT THE THREE KINGS 
Part Fifth 

STORIES ABOUT THE DIVIDED KINGDOM 
Part Sixth 

STORIES ABOUT THE JEWS 


STORIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 

TWO PARTS 

Part First 

STORIES ABOUT JESUS 
Part Second 

STORIES ABOUT THE APOSTLES 































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Stories of the Old Testament 

In Six Parts 







PART FIRST 


STORIES OF THE PATRIARCHS 

Genesis; Job 
STORY 1 

HOW THE WORLD WAS MADE 

Gen. 1:1-2: 7 

This great world in which we live did not always exist. The broad 
expanse of sky, which smiles upon ns when days are fair, and frowns and 
weeps when days are foul, did not always form an arch above our earth- 
home. Long, long ago there was no world at all. There was no sun to 
shine, there were no stars to twinkle, nor moonbeams to play through 
the night-shadows. But even then there was God ; for he ever has been 
and always shall be the same unchanging Divine Being. 

Then, awlay back in that long ago, at the very beginning of time, God 
made the world. Not as we see it today, for at first water covered every- 
thing, and all was darkness everywhere. What a strange, unfriendly 
world this must have been, for no living crc^ure could dwell in it! 
But God planned to make it beautiful, so he caused the light to shine. 
This light he called Day and the darkness he called Night. And then 
the evening and morning of the first day of time passed by. 

On the second day God made the beautiful blue sky, and placed 
above the. water-covered earth clouds to carry the sky-moisture. He 
called the sky Heaven. On the third day he caused the waters to flow 
together in wide, deep places, and he called them Seas. Dry land then 
rose up, and this he called Earth. But as yet there were no grasses, 
flowers, nor trees— the whole earth was barren and desolate. So God 
caused a carpet of grass to grow upon the bare ground and beautiful 
flowers to spring up from the earth. The trees and herbs also he made 
to grow at his will. When God beheld all these things he saw that 
they were good. 

On the fourth day appeared the great lights which we see in the 
sky— the sun, the moon, and the stars. These he made to divide the 
day from the night. 

23 


24 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


After these things were made, God began to create living creatures. 
He made fishes of all kinds and sizes to swim about in the seas and birds 
of every description to fly about above the water and land, just as we 
see them doing today. Thus the world continued to become more 
delightful, and the fifth day of the first week of time passed by. 

On the sixth day God made all the animals, great and small, and 
every creeping thing. Thkn there was life abounding in the woods and 
on the plains, as well as in the air and in the sea. What a beautiful 
world ! Still what a strange world, for there were no people in it! Not 
a home anywhere— not a man, woman, nor little child to be seen. What 
a very strange world indeed! 

But God had not yet finished his work of creation, for he wished 
to have people live in the wonderful world he had made. They could 
enjoy its beauties and take care of it as no other living creature could 
do. And more, they could know who had made all these great things, 
and knowing God they could love and worship him. So it was that God 
made the first man. Out of the dust of the ground he made the man’s 
body, then he breathed into, that body with the breath of life and man 
became alive— not just as the birds and the fishes and the animals were 
alive, for God gave to man a soul that would never die. 

This first man God called Adam, and to Adam he gave the power 
to rule over all the other living creatures. These animals and birds he 
brought to Adam, and Adam gave each of them a name. But not one 
of them did Adam find suitable for a helper, and because he needed a 
helper very much God made for him a woman. This woman became 
Adam’s wife, and he loved her very much. He called her name Eve. 

.•'hen the sixth day ended God had made the world and had placed 
everything in it just as he wished, therefore on the seventh day he 
rested from his work. 


STCXRY 2 

THE STORY OF THE FIRST EARTH-HOME 

Gen. 2:8-3:24 

God himself made for Adam and Eve their first earth-home. And 
a beautiful home it wias. We will call it a garden-home. God chose a 
place where four rivers met and there he planted a large garden. We 
do not know the many kinds of trees and flowers and vegetables and 
grasses that he caused to grow in this garden. But we are sure that no 
park which man has made could be so lovely as was the Garden of 


THE STORY OF THE FIRST EARTH-HOME 


25 


Eden. In the midst of this garden God planted a wonderful tree, called 
the tree of life. Whoever might eat of the fruit of this tree would live 
on and on forever. 

Adam and Eve were very happy. God had given them good things 
to enjoy, and they knew nothing about evil and wrong-doing. They 
often talked with God and listened to his voice as he walked and talked 
with them in the cool of evening time. 

God wanted Adam and EJve to prove their love for him, and for this 
reason he planted in the beautiful garden one test-tree, called the tree 
of knowledge of good and evil. 4 ‘ Of the fruit of every other tree in this 
garden you may eat,” God had told them, “but the fruit of this test- 
tree you must not taste. If you do, you shall surely die. ’ ’ 

We do not know how long Adam and Eve enjoyed their beautiful 
garden-home, but we do know that one day a sad thing happened. Sin 
crept slyly into this lovely place. It came first to Eve. She heard a 
voice and saw a snake talking to her. She was not afraid, because she 
had never known fear. So she listened. 4 ‘ Has God said that you must 
not eat the fruit of every tree in this garden ? ’ ’ the snake asked. 

“We may eat of every tree except one,” Eve answered. “God has 
told us that we must not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, 
lest we die.” 

“That is a mistake; you will not surely die,” the snake replied. 
“God knows that if you eat fruit from this tree you will become wise 
to know good and evil, as he is wise, therefore he has forbidden you to 
eat of it.” . 

Until this time Eve had not touched the forbidden "ree; but now 
she looked at its fruit and thought that if it really would make U r wise, 
like God, she wanted to tastie it. Soon she yielded to the temptation 
and plucked the fruit; and then she gave some to Adam, and he too 
ate of it. 

At once Adam and Eve knew what a dreadful thing sin is. They 
knew they had disobeyed God. A strange something stole into their 
hearts; it was fear. How afraid they were to meet God! They had 
never been afraid before, but now they tried to find a hiding-place among 
the beautiful trees in the garden. 

Soon a voice called, “Adam, where are you?” and the frightened 
man answered, “Lord, I heard your voice and I was afraid, therefore 
I hid myself.” “Why should you be afraid to meet me?” God asked. 
“Have you eaten of the forbidden fruit?” Then Adam told God that 
Eve had given him some of the fruit and he had eaten it. 

“What is this you have done?” God questioned Eve. And she 


26 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 



ADAM AND EVE LEAVING THE BEAUTIFUL GARDE*, 





THE STORY OF THE FIRST EARTH-HOME 


27 


told him what the snake had said. “ I listened to the tempter and 
then ate of the frnit and gave it to my husband/ ’ was her sorrowful 
confession. 

God was grieved because Adam and EVe had failed to obey him. 
Now he knew they could no longer enjoy his presence with them, 
. because sin had spoiled their lives. They were no longer fit to live in 
the beautiful garden-home he had made for them. So he sent them 
away out into the world to make a home for themselves. And he 
placed an angel at the gate of the garden to prevent them from coming 
back to eat of the fruit that grew! on the wonderful tree of life. 

To Eve, God said, “Because you listened to the tempter’s voice and 
disobeyed me, you shall have pain and trouble all the days of your 
life . 9 ’ 

Adam also received a sentence of punishment from God. No 
longer should the ground yield freely of the fruits and vegetables which 
Adam and Eve ate for food ; now Adam must work hard to keep these 
things growing. And he would find that weeds and thorns and thistles 
would grow in his fields to make his work even harder. Then by and 
by he should grow old and feeble, and then he should die and his body 
would again become dust as it was before God created him. All these 
sorrows came because of sin. 

But while God drove Adam and Eve out of the beautiful garden, 
he at the same time gave them the promise that he would send a Savior 
to make all men free from sin and death. 


STORY 3 

THE STORY OF THE FIRST CHILDREN 

Genesis 4 

After sin caused God to shut Adam and Eve out of the beautiful 
home that he had made for them, they built a home for themselves 
somewhere outside the garden gate. Here they began to feel more and 
more the punishment which their sin had brought upon them. Adam 
had to toil hard and long to secure food for himself and for EVe. No 
doubt his hands and feet were sometimes bruised and torn by thistles 
and thorns. Eve too learned the sad meaning of pain and sorrow. Her 
home was not so happy as it had been before she listened to the temp- 
ter’s voice, and chose to disobey God. 

But all the while God loved Adam and Eve. We can not know how 


28 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


great was his grief when they sinned. No longer could he walk and 
talk with them as he had done before. Now sin, like a great, black 
monster, had stepped in and spoiled their friendship, and where sin 
dwells God will not go. No doubt Adam and Eve were sorry, too. No 
longer could they have God’ll presence in their home because sin had 
fastened itself in their hearts. 

But because God loved them still, he gave Adam and Eve a promise 
of a Savior. And because they believed the promise, hope came into 
their hearts again. Although they could not talk to God as they had done 
in their garden-home, now they confessed their sins to him, and it 
appears certain that they brought gifts which they offered upon altars. 
These altars they built by piling up either stones or earth, making a 
flat top, and placing on the top some wood, all cut and ready to be 
burned. Next they laid their offering upon the wood, then set fire to 
the wood, and that burned up the offering. 

We are sure that Adam and Eve must have felt lonely, with no 
friends in all the big, wide world. But God planned that there should 
be more people, and so one day he gave Adam and Eve a little child— 
a baby boy. This baby they named Chin. How they must have loved 
him ! After a while God gave them another little boy, and they named 
him Abel. 

When Cain and his little brother Abel grew old enough to under- 
stand, Adam and Eve told them about the great God, and how they 
themselves had disobeyed him before Cain and Abel were born. They 
wanted their sons to love this God and try to please him. But alas ! 
sin, like a tiny seed, was already buried in the hearts of these little boys, 
causing them to think naughty thoughts, or say unkind words, or do 
wrong deeds, just as little boys and girls are tempted to do today. Abel 
wanted to please God and he Was sorry because he sinned; but Cain 
allowed the tiny sin-seed to grow and grow until his heart became very 
wicked. 

By and by Cain and Abel became men, like Adam, and Cain worked 
in the fields raising grain and fruits, While Abel took care of a flock of 
sheep. These brothers built altars, upon which they offered their gifts 
to God, as their parents did. Cain brought for his offering fruit from 
the field where he had labored, and Abel brought a fat lamb. But Cain’s 
offering did not please God. When he saw that God was displeased, 
he became very angry. God talked to him. He warned him of the 
harm that might come if he should continue to be angry instead of 
becoming sorry for his sins. But Cain was not willing to listen; he 
was not sorry for his sins. 


THE STORY OF THE FIRST CHILDREN 


29 


Abel believed the promise which God had given to his parents, and 
when he offered his gift he prayed and asked God to forgive his sins. 
God was pleased with Abel ’s offering. 

O-ne day while the brothers were together in the field, Cain quar- 



THE SAD RESULT OF CAIN’S QUARREL 


reled with Abel. Now, we are sure that nothing good can come of quar- 
rels, because they are so wrong. This quarrel ended dreadfully. Cain 
grew so angry with Abel that he killed him. What an awful deed ! 

God spoke again to Cain, and asked, “Where is Abel your brother V 9 
Cain replied, “I know not. Am I my brother’s keeper V 9 
Wicked Cain did not know that God had seen all he did. And now 
for a punishment God told Cain that he must go farther away out into 
the wide world. Never again should he know the blessing of his old 
home, for hereafter he should wander about from place to place like a 
frightened, hunted animal. He should have a terrible fear in his heart 
always that some one would kill him as he had killed his brother. 

Now at last Cain felt sorry, but he was sorry only because he was 
to be punished for his sin. He thought God was punishing him more 
than he could bear. Then God placed a mark upon him that all 
could see, and by that mark they would know that God did not want them 
to kill Cain. 

After this Cain wandered far away into a land called Nod. There 
he lived for many long years. 




30 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Adam and Eve lived a long time, and God gave them other children 
besides Cain and Abel. Then the time came at last when their bodies 



GOD TALKING TO CAIN 


grew feeble with age and they died, as God had said they should when 
they ate the forbidden fruit. 


THE FIRST GiREAT SHIP AND WHY IT WAS BUILT 31 


STORY 4 

THE FIRST GREAT SHIP AND WHY IT WAS BUILT 

Gen. 5:1-9:17 

The children of Adam and Eve lived to be very old. Their chil- 
dren also lived for several hundreds of years. And so it was that 
grandsons became grandfathers before their own grandfathers died. 
Thus several generations lived and worked together. After a while 
there were many people living in the world. 

We do not know very much about those people of long ago except 
the fact that many of them wlere very wicked. Among them was one 
man, however, who, like Abel, tried to please God. This man’s name 
was Enoch. The Bible tells us that Enoch walked with God. We 
understand that he loved God better than he loved anything else, and 
talked to God and listened when God talked to him. Finally Enoch 
became an old man. At last, when he( was three hundred and sixty- 
five years old, one day God took him away from earth to heaven, and 
he did not die. Enoch had a son! whom he named Methuselah. This 
man lived for nine hundred and sixty-nine years, until he was older 
, than any other man had ever been. Then he died, like all other people 
had done except his father Enoch. 

By this time there were many, many people living in the world. 
And their hearts were so full of sin that their thoughts , and words and 
deeds were all very wicked. They did noit try to please God ,at all. 
They did not love him. They did not thank him for the blessings of 
food and shelter and sunshine which he gave to them. They did not 
teach their children to love good, pure things, but allowed them to grow 
up and become evil men and wlomen like themselves. What a sad world 
this was ! for sin was everywhere. 

Finally God planned to destroy all the peoplel because they were 
no longer fit to live. He felt sorry that he ever had made man. 
He thought he would destroy everything— people, animials, and every 
other creature that lived on the earth. He would cause a great flood of 
water to cover the earth. 

Then God remembered Noah. Here was a man who had tried to 
do right regardless, of all his wicked surroundings. And he had taught 
his sons to do right also. God was pleased with Noah and with his sons. 
Sometimes he talked to Noah. Now he told him' about his plan to 
destroy the world. But because Noah and his family had been trying 


32 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 





THE ANIMALS GOING INTO THE BIG ARK 


THE FIRST 1 GREAT SHIP AND WHY IT WAS BUILT 33 


to do right, God promised that they should not he destroyed with the 
wicked people. 

“Get ready to build an ark, ” God told Noah, “and then when it is 
finished you and your wife, your sons and their wives may go into this 
ark and live there until the flood is ended.' ’ 

Now that God decided to save a few! people he also arranged to 
save a pair of each kind of animal and of bird and of every living thing 
on the earth that breathed. These creatures were to be housed in the 
ark, too, while the flood should last. 

Noah believed God and made ready to build the ark. God had told 
him how it should be built. For a long, long time— one hundred and 
twenty years— he and his sons worked, sawing boards and hammering 
nails, and making every part of the ark just exactly as God had said 
it should be made. Then by and by every nail was driven securely into 
its place, the inside walls were finished, and every part was ready for 
the purpose it should serve. What a queer-looking building now stood 
before them— a very large boat-like house three stories high, away out 
on dry land ! Doubtless the people laughed much at faithful old Noah 
and his three sons. Perhaps they thought that only feeble-minded folk 
could believe that) there ever would be such a thing as a flood. Still 
Noah continued to warn them that they should repent of their sins lest 
God destroy them!. 

One day, when the ark was completed and everything else was in 
readiness, God called Noah and told him to bring his wife, his three 
sons and their wives, and come into the ark. And the animals and birds 
and creeping things God caused to come also, two and two of every 
kind ; and of those animals which man should need after the flood, and 
birds, seven pairs of each kind came. When they were all inside the 
ark, God himself shut the door. 

After a few days the rain began to fall. And such a rain! Great 
sheets of water poured down from the clouds as if windows in the sky 
had been opened and water was flowing through them. Soon the tiny 
streamlets were raging torrents and the rivers were overflowing their 
banks. People began to forsake their homes and rush to the hills for 
safety. Animals, too, ran pell-mell everywhere, trying to find a place 
of refuge and shelter from the storm. But still it rained, and higher 
and higher the waters rose until every one believed at last that Noah 
had told the truth. But nowi it was too late to repent and seek refuge 
in the ark, for God had shut the door. And so when the waters crept 
up to the tops of the hills and mountains and finally buried them out of 


34 


BIBLEi-STORY BOOK 


sight, every living creature on the face of the earth was drowned. Those 
in the ark were the only ones left alive. 

For forty days and nights the downpour of rain continued; but 
Noah and his family were safe. When the waters rose high enough they 
lifted the ark off the ground, and it began to float about like a great 
ship on the top of the flood. For six months and more it floated high 
above the water-covered earth. Then one day it came to a standstill. 
God had caused a wind to blow over the waters to dry them up, and as 
the flood-tide became gradually lower, the ark had found a lodging- 
place on the top of a mountain. Here it rested for two months, and all 
the while the water-mark continued to drop lower down the mountain- 
sides. 

After waiting for some time, Noah opened a window, which must 
have been very high up, near the roof. He allowed a bird called a raven 
to fly out of the window. Now, the raven has strong wings, and this 
bird flew to and fro until the waters had gone down. After some days, 
Noah sent out a dove ; but this bird could not find a place to build her 
nest, so she soon returned again to the ark. Another week of waiting 
passed, and Noah sent the dove out once m(ore. She stayed longer this 
time ; and when evening came she flew back to Noah, bringing a green 
olive-leaf in her mouth. At this Noah and his family knew that the 
waters *were returning to the rivers and the seas, and that the land 
again was becoming green and beautiful. One more week they waited, 
and now when Noah sent out the dove she flew away and never returned. 

Now Noah believed that the time had come when he might uncover 
the roof and look out upon the earth. How glad he must have been to 
see dry land again; for more than a year had passed since God had shut 
them inside the ark. And God said to him, ‘ ‘ Come out of the ark, with 
your wife and your sons and their wives, and every living thing that 
is with you in the ark.” So Noah opened the great door, and he and 
his family stepped out upon the dry ground. All the animals and the 
birds and the creeping things came out also, and began to live upon the 
earth as they had done before the flood. 

Noah was thankful to God because his life and the lives of his fam- 
ily had been saved when all other people had perished from off the 
earth. He built an altar as soon as he came out of the ark, and brought 
his offering to God. Because Noah had been obedient, God accepted 
his offering and was pleased with his household. 

God then promised that never again wbuld be send another flood 
to destroy every living creature, and that as long as the earth should 
remain there would be summer and winter, springtime and autumn, 


THE TOWER OF BABEL 


35 


and day and night. And because God wanted mankind to remember 
always the promise that he would never again destroy the earth with a 
flood, he placed in the sky a sign of his promise. That sign was a 
beautiful rainbow. Have you ever seen that rainbow-sign! It is God’s 
promise to all mankind— to you and to me as well as to Noah and his 
children. 


STORY 5 

THE TOWER OF BABEL, AND WHY IT WAS NEVER FINISHED 

Gen. 9:18-11:9 

A clean, new world lay before Noah and his three sons when they 
stepped out of the ark. Now there were no wicked neighbors to mock at 
them when they built altars to worship God. Even the wicked wprks 
of those wicked people had been swept away out of sight. Everything 
was ready for a new beginning. 

Noah and his sons set to work and made new homes. Noah’s sons 
were named Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After a while God gave them 
children. These children grew up and made homes for themselves. 
Then there were other children ; and so it came about that the number 
of people grew and grew until the earth became as full of people as it 
was before the flood. 

From the mountain of Ararat, where the ark lodged when the w'aters 
went down, the human family went into the south country. Later they 
moved east, into the valley of Mesopotamia, and there they lived on a 
plain in the land of Shinar. 

‘ ‘ Let us build for ourselves a city, ’ ’ said the people some time after 
they reached Shinar, 4 ‘and let us make a tower so great and high that 
its top will reach up to the sky. Then we shall not be scattered over the 
face of the earth, and separated from each other.” And so the people 
set to work. 

In this land of Shinar the soil is such that bricks can be made of 
it, and soon many bricks were made and ready for use. What a busy 
people! Some were making brick, others were mixing mortar, 
and still others were carrying brick and mortar to the workmen who 
were building the city and the tower. Everything was moving fast and 
everybody was thinking that some day their city 1 and their wonderful 
tower would be finished. 

Then something happened that the people had not expected to 
happen at all. God came to see the city and the tower. He did not 


36 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


talk to the builders, and very[ likely they did not know he had been 
there to look upon their work. But God was not pleased with what 
he saw. He knew that men would become more sinful if they should 
finish that great tower. Already they were thinking more and more 
about their own work and less and less about the God who gave them 

strength with which to labor. Soon 
they might forget God entirely and 
worship the work their own hands 
had made. So God planned to stop 
their building. 

Until this time all the people 
in the world spoke one language. 
Now God caused them to speak dif- 
ferent languages. The people of 
one family could not understand 
what their neighbors were talking 
about. Neither could their neigh- 
bors understand what they were 
saying. Such a great change caused 
the people to become restless, and 
all those who spoke one language 
moved into neighborhoods by them- 
selves. They could no longer go on 
with their great building, either, be- 
cause the workmen could not under- 
stand each other’s language; and so at last they quit trying to finish 
the tower whose top they had planned should reach the sky. And the 
name of the city was called Babel. 

Soon the people of one language gathered together their pos- 
sessions and moved away from Babel. Others did the same. Across 
the plains they journeyed and over the mountains into strange lands 
where men’s feet had never walked before. They built cities and 
planted fields and vineyards, and their numbers grew until they became 
strong nations. 

Story 6 

A MAN WHO HEARD AND OBEYED GOD’S CALL 

Gen. 11:27-12:20 

The people who moved away from Babel into different parts of 
the World did not pray to God. Their hearts were sinful, and they 



A MAN WHO HEARD AND OBEYED GOD’S GALL 


37 


shrank away from the purity of God,, like Adam and Eve did when 
they tried to hide from God’s presence in the Garden of Eiden. But 
we find that the people prayed to something. In every country where 
they went they had some kind of worship. Many of them worshiped 
things that God had made, such as tlie( sun, the moon, and the stars. 
Afterward they also worshiped rivers and mountains and hills. They 
made images of wood and of stone to these things which they wor- 
shiped, and calle_d the images gods. And so there was the sun-god, 
which they called Shami-as, and the moon-god, which they called Ur, 
besides many others. 

Not far from the city of Babel, where the tower was left unfin- 
ished, another city was built. This city wlas called Ur of the Chaldees, 
because it was built in the home country of the Chaldean people. These 
people worshiped the moon-god, Ur, and when they built their great 
city they named it in honor of their god. And so the moon-god became 
famous and was worshiped by the Chaldeans everywhere. 

On the plains near Ur lived an old man who was a shepherd- 
farmer, that is, he tilled the soil and also raised large flocks of sheep 
and herds of cattle. His name was Terah. He had three grown sons, 
and their names were Abram, Nahor, and Haran. They_ were also 
shepherd-farmers. Haran did not live to be very old. When he died 
he left a son named Lot. 

Now, Abram the son of Terah was a good man. He did not wor- 
ship the moon-god as did his neighbors and friends and kinsfolk. He 
believed in the true God. He built altars and brought offerings to 
sacrifice to God just as Abel and Noah had done long years before. 
And his offerings pleased God, and his prayers were heard. 

One day Abraham heard the voice of God calling to him. He lis- 
tened. God told him to gather together his family and his flocks and 
herds, bid farewell to his neighbors and friends, and start out on a 
long journey. God promised to lead him to a land far away, where 
he would bless him and make his name great. His children and their 
children in the generations to come God promised to bless, and to 
make into a great nation. And through them God promised to give a 
blessing to all families in the world. 

Perhaps Abram: did not understand the meaning of all God’s 
promise. He did not know that in the years to come a Savior* should 
be born among the people of his own family, who would then be called 
the Jews^ This Savior we know is the blessing which God promised 
to give to all families in the world, if Abram would obey his 
voice. 


38 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 



• Although Abram did not know these tilings, nor even the country 
to which God wished to lead him, he was not afraid to go. So he took 
all his family — his wife, whose name was Sarai, his aged father, Terah, 
his brother Nalior and his wife, and the young son of his dead brother 
Haran. They and their servants Abram urged to start out with Mini 

on his journey. And they took all 
their possessions too — the tents in 
which they lived, and the large 
flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. 

Day after day they journeyed 
up the greati River Euphrates un- 
til they came to a place called 
Haran. Here they stopped to rest, 
and here Abram’s aged father died 
and was buried. Even before that 
God spoke to Abram and urged him 
to continue his journey. But Nalior, 
Abram’s brother, was unwilling to 
go farther, so he remained at 
Haran and made his home at that 
place. 

After this Abram made a sec- 
ond start. Now he took only his 
wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and 
their servants. Driving their flocks 
and herds before them, they turned 
away from the great river and journeyed southwest, toward the land 
of Canaan. On one side of them the mountains rose wild and high, 
while on the other side, as far as they could see, the barren desert 
stretched away toward the south. On and on they traveled— across 
rivers, through valleys, over hills— each day farther from their home- 
land and nearer to the land which God had promised. We do not know 
how many days and weeks and months passed by before they came to 
the plain of Moreh, where God spoke again to Abram. “This is the 
land,” God told him, “that I will give to you and to your children.” 
And Abram built an altar there and worshiped God. 

Now, this land of promise was called Canaan, because the Canaan- 
ite people lived in it. These people had been there for a long time 
and had built some towns and cities. Abram did not live among the 
Canaanite people, but pitched his tents out on the hills or plains, wher- 
ever he could find grass for his cattle and sheep to eat and water for 


ABRAM LISTENING TO GOD 


A MAN WHO HEARD AND OBEYED GOD’S GAEL 


39 


them to drink. All the while his flocks and herds grew larger, until 
finally Abram became very rich. 

Then there came a famine in the land. The grass failed and the 
waters of the brooks dried up. Nowhere could Abram find pasture, 
so he moved away from Canaan into the country called Egypt. Here 
he saw the great Rivej* Nile, and possibly even the pyramids and the 
sphinx. But he did not remain long in Egypt, because God did not 
want him to dwell there. When the famine ended in Canaan, he 
returned again to that country. 


STORY 7 

HOW ABRAM ENDED A QUARREL 

Genesis 13 

After Abram returned from Egypt, he and Lot journeyed to the 
place where they had first pitched their tents in Canaan. There Abram 
had built an altar to worship God. At the very same place he now 
sacrificed another offering, and again talked to God. 

Abram was now a very rich man. Not only did he possess many 
servants, flocks, and herds, but he also possessed much silver and gold. 
And we find that his nephew Lot owned many servants and sheep and 
cattle too. Wherever these men and their servants pitched their tents, 
the place looked like a tent-town. And the country all around them 
would be dotted with cattle and sheep. 

After some time trouble arose betweenjthe servants of Abram 1 and 
Lot. Some of Abram’s servants were caretakers of his cattle and 
sheep. They and the servants who cared for Lot’s flocks quarreled. 
Abram’s servants wanted the best pasture-land for Abram’s flocks, 
and Lot’s servants wanted that same land for their master’s flocks. 
And so the trouble grew. By and by news of the quarrel reached the 
ears of Abram;. He looked out over the crowded country and saw 
how hard it must be for the servants. How could they always find 
places near by where tender grasses grew and where water was plenti- 
ful! He saw, too, the villages of the Canaanites not far away, and 
he knew there was not room enough in that part of the country for all 
to dwell together peaceably. 

So Abram called Lot and said, “Let there be no quarrel between 
us, or between our? servants. There is not room enough for both of 
us to dwell here together with our flocks and herds. But see, the whole 


40 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


land lies before ns. Let us separate. If you choose to go to the west 
country, then I shall journey east; but if you desire the east country, 
then I shall go west. ’ 9 

From the height upon which Abram and Lot stood to view the 
country they could see far to the east and to the west. Because Abram 
was the one to whom God had promised all this land he could have 
chosen the better part, or he could have sent Lot and his servants/ away 
out of the land altogether. But Abram wlas not selfish. He kindly 
offered Lot the first choice. And Lot, forgetting the kindness of his 
uncle, thought only of his own interests and chose the east country, 
through which the Jordan River flowed. “I can always find plenty of 
grass and water there,” he reasoned, “and my flocks and herds will 
grow in number until soon I shall become very rich, too.” 

After Lot departed with his possessions, God spoke again to 
Abrami. Perhaps God saw that Abram felt lonely. So he comforted 
him by reminding him of the promise that the whole of Canaan’s land 
should belong to him and to his children. As yet Abram and Sarai 
had no children, but God said that some day the children of their 
grandsons and great-grandsons should be many. And Abram believed 
God. God also told Abram to journey through the length and breadth 
of Canaan’s land to see how large a country it was. So Abram moved 
away from the place where he and Lot. had lived together for the last 
time, and came to a plain called Mamre. _ Here he pitched his tents 
under the oak-trees near the city of Hebron, and then built another 
altar to worship God. 


STORY 8 

HOW LOT’S CHOICE BROUGHT TROUBLE 

Genesis 14 

When Lot- selected the fertile plains of Jordan for his share of 
Canaan’s land, he thought he was making a wise choice. He saw in 
the distance the large cities of the plain, called Sodom and Gomorrah. 
He knew that in those cities he could sell sheep and cattle from his 
flocks and herds, and soon have much silver and gold. So he moved 
tow'ard Sodom. After a while he pitched his tents still nearer the city 
walls, and finally he moved his family inside the gate. 

Now, sodom was not a nice place for good people to live. The peo- 
ple of Sodom cared nothing about God. Some of them were very rich, 
and perhaps they had beautiful homes. But they had unlovely hearts. 


HOW LOT’S CHOICE 1 BROUGHT TROUBLE 


41 



ABRAM TALKING WITH KING MELCHISEDEIC 


42 


BIBLE-STO'RY BOOK 


The Bible tells us that the men of Sodom were wicked and great sin- 
ners in God’s sight. But in Lot’s sight they were rich men, and clever, 
and so he brought his family to dwell among them. This was a sad 
mistake. 

One day trouble came upon Sodom. There had been war in the 
land and the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, and three other cities had 
gone out to battle. The army against which they fought defeated them. 
Then the conquering soldiers entered the gates of Sodom and of 
Gomorrah, crowded through the streets, and pushed their way into 
rich men’s houses, taking everything that they could find to carry 
away. They even, took people and led them away to become slaves. 
And Lot with his wife and children were taken with the others. 

One of the captured men escaped and fled across the country to 
the place near Hebron where Abram lived. He told about the battle 
and what had happened to Lot. When Abram heard of Lot’s trouble, 
he took three hundred and eighteen of his men servants and, with some 
friends, hurried in pursuit of the captives. After a long, hard march 
across the country they came upon the enemy’s camp at a place in the 
north of Canaan, called Dan. It was night, and the unsuspecting 
enemies lay asleep. Abram and his men rushed upon them and fright- 
ened them. They thought a great army had come to fight against them, 
and they were not prepared for a battle. So they rose up in haste and 
ran away, leaving behind their tents and all the goods and the people 
which they had taken away from Sodom and Gomorrah. 

This was a great victory for Abram. The people of Canaan hon- 
ored him for his courage, and the king of Sodom went out to meet him. 
He offered Abram all the gold and silver and food and clothing that he 
had taken away from the enemy’s camp, and asked only that the peo- 
ple be returned again to Sodom. But Abram would not accept any 
reward from the king, because he had 1 promised God that he would not 
keep anything for himself. And so all the people and their posses- 
sions were again returned to their homes. 

Another king also came out to meet Abram. His name was Mel- 
chisedec, and he was king of Salem, a place which was later called 
Jerusalem 1 . Melchisedec was different from the other people of Canaan 
because he loved) the true God and worshiped him. He was a priest 
of God. When this king met Abram he brought food for him, and then 
he asked God to bless Abram. He also thanked God for giving Abram 
such a great victory. 

Because Melchisedec was a priest of the true God, Abram gave him 
a tenth of all the goods he had taken from the enemy’s camp. 


THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT ABRAM’S TENT-HOME 43 


After this experience, Lot took his wife and children and went back 
again to live in wicked Sodom; but Abram returned to his quiet tent- 
home under the oak-trees near Hebron. 


STORY 9 

THINGS THAT HAPPENED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE 
ABRAM’S TENT-HOME 

Genesis 15—17 

Abram was now growing old. Although he had great riches and 
many servants, yet he had no children. One night while he lay asleep 
in his tent-home, God appeared to him in a vision. 4 4 Do not be afraid,” 
God told him, “for I will protect you, and will give you a great reward 
because you are faithful.” 

“What will you give me for a reward?” Abram asked. And God 
answered that some day Abram should have a son. Then, at God’s bid- 
ding, Abram rose up and Went outside his tent door and looked up at 
the starlit heavens. “The children of your family,” God told Abram, 
“shall some day be as many as the stars— so many that no one can 
count them. ’ ’ Abram understood by this that God was speaking of the 
people who should some day possess Canaan’s land, for they should be 
Abram’s descendants. And he believed in the Lord, although he could 
not see even the beginning of that great family of promise. 

God also caused Abram to understand that there would be a timje 
when the children of his family should become slaves in a strange land, 
and should dwell there for four hundred years. After that they should 
again return to Canaan, and possess the land for their own. We shall 
see in later stories how this came to pass. 

We remember that at one time Abram and his household jour- 
neyed into Egypt, during a famine in the land of Canaan. When they 
returned to Canaan they brought with them an Egyptian servant-girl 
named Hagar. They taught Hagar to know about the true God and to 
listen if he should speak to her. And they expected her to work faith- 
fully for them, as good servants should. 

One day Hagar did not please her mistress, Sarai. This was 
wrong, and Sarai punished her severely. Hagar became very unhappy, 
until finally she decided to run away. 

Now, running away is never an easy thing to do, and as Hagar 
hastened along the sandy, desert road she grew very tired. So she 


44 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


stopped to rest by a fountain of water along the roadside. In this lonely 
place, in the deep wilderness, some one found her. It was an angel of 
the Lord. 

“Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where did you come from? and where are 
you going?” the angel inquired. 

“I am fleeing from my mistress,” Hagar replied, “because I am 
unhappy. ’ ’ 

“Return again,” the angel said, “and try to please Sarai. After 
a while God will give you a little son. He shall grow up to be a strong 
man, and he shall be called Ishmael. ’ ’ 

Hagar knew it was a messenger from God who spoke to her. And 
she knew now that she could never run away from God, because he had 
seen her all the while. So she obeyed the angel ’s word and returned 
again to her mistress. Afterward that fountain of water in the wilder- 
ness where the angel found her was called Beer-lahai-roi, a word which 
means, “A well of the Living One wiho sees me.” 

So after Hagar returned to Sarai’s tent-home, God gave her the 
child he had promised. Abram named him Ishmael, which means, ‘ ‘ God 
hears.” And Hagar remembered that this was the name by which the 
angel had said the child should be called. Abram loved 1 Ishmael ; but 
Ishmael was not the child that God had promised to give to him. We 
shall learn more about Hagar and Ishmael by and by. 

The years passed on until Abram was nearly one hundred years 
old. Then God spoke to him' again. Abram fell on his face and listened. 
God said, 4 4 1 will make a) covenant with you. ’ ’ N!ow, a covenant is a 
promise between two persons, each one agreeing to do something for 
the other. In this covenant God promised to give Abram 1 a son and 
Abram promised to serve God faithfully. Then God said, ‘ ‘ Your name 
shall no more be called Abram, but Abraham, which means, “The 
father of many,” and your wife, Sarai, shall be called ‘Sarah,’ which 
means, ‘Princess.’ ” 


STORY 10 

STRANGE VISITORS AT ABRAHAM’S TENT-HOME 

Genesis 18 

It was noonday, and everywhere the sun shone hot upon the plains. 
But Abraham sat in the cool shade of his tent door, beneath a tree. 
Presently three strange men drew near. They did not look like other 
men, and Abraham knew they were from a far country. He hurried 


STRANGE VISITORS AT ABRAHAM’S TENT-HOME 45 


out to meet them, and, bowing low toward the ground just as he always 
did when greeting a friend or a visitor, he urged them to rest for a 
while in the cool shade. This they were quite ready to do. 

Now we shall see how Abraham entertained his guests. First he 
sent for water to wash their feet. This was not unusual because peo- 
ple wore sandals in that long-ago; time and it was customary for them 
to remove their sandals and wash their feet whenever they sat down 
to rest and visit. Next, Abraham told his wife to make ready and bake 
some barley cakes upon the hearth, while he should prepare some meat, 
for his guests. Then he ran out to his herd and selected a young calf, 
which he gave to a servant to dress and cook. When all was ready, he 
brought the food to his guests, and they ate while he stood under a 
tree near by. Abraham was glad to serve these strangers because he 
was kind to every one. 

When the meal was ended, the men arose to continue their jour- 
ney. Abraham walked, with them 1 for a little way. By this time he 
knew they were not like other men, but they were heavenly beings. 
Two of them were angels. The other one was the Lord. And Abraham 
felt that he was unworthy to entertain such wonderful visitors. But 
because he was a good man the Lord loved him. 

‘ 4 Shall I hide from Abraham this thing which I do?” the Lord 
lasked his companions. “I know that he will teach his children to keep 
my ways and to do right.” 

Then, turning toward Abraham the Lord said, “I am going to 
visit Sodom and Gomorrah to see if these cities are as wicked as they 
seem, for the cry of their sins has reached me.” 

The two men hurried on; but Abraham detained the Lord a while 
longer, because he wanted to talk to him. He knew the Lord would 
destroy the cities if he found them! to be as wicked as they seemed, and 
he thought of Lot. Now, we remember that Lot had gone back to live 
again in Sodom after Abraham and his servants had rescued him and 
his family from the enemy’s camp. Abraham knew that Lot too might 
perish if the cities should be destroyed. And he loved Lot. He wished 
once more to try to save him, so he said, 4 ‘Will you destroy the right- 
eous persons in the city, Will you not spare the lives of all for their 
sake?” And the Lord promised to spare Sodom if he could find fifty 
righteous persons in it. 

Abraham feared that there might be less than fifty. And he was 
troubled for Lot’s safety. So he spoke again. “I know that I am but 
a common man, made of dust,” said he, “yet I speak to the Lord. If 
there should be only forty-five righteous persons living in Sodom, will 


46 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


you spare the city?” And the Lord said he would spare Sodom for the 
sake of only forty-five righteous persons. 

Still Abraham felt troubled. He feared there might not be even 
forty-five. So he asked if the city might be spared for the sake of forty. 
The Lord knew it was Abraham ’s, love for the people which caused him 
to plead so earnestly for Sodom, and he promised to spare the city for 
the sake of forty. 

“What,” thought poor, distressed Abraham, “if there should not 
be even forty righteous persons found in Sodom ?” And once more he 
spoke. “0 Lord, be not angry with me,” he said, “but if there are 
only thirty righteous persons, will you spare the city for their sakes ? ’ ’ 
And the Lord promised to spare the entire city if only thirty righteous 
people could be found in it. Abraham continued to plead until he had 
asked the Lord if he would spare the city if only ten righteous persons 
were found, and the Lord promised to spare Sodom if he could find only 
ten. Then the Lord passed on, and Abraham returned to his tent. 


STORY 11 

WHAT HAPPENED TO SODOM 

Genesis 19 

The long shadows of evening-time were stealing over the hills and 
through the valleys, and everywhere people were hurrying toward 
home. Soon the city gates would be closed, and the wise men who sat 
there during the daytime to judge the people would be turning home- 
ward, too. 

Among the wise men who sat in Sodom’s gate was Lot. On this 
evening he saw two strangers approaching, and he greeted them with 
a low bow, just as Abraham had greeted these same men earlier in the 
day. For they were no other than the angels who had dined with the 
Lord at Abraham’s tent. Lot invited them to his home to spend the 
night, but they said they would stay out in the streets. Now, Lot knew 
the wicked men of Sodom would try to harm them if they remained 
in the streets, so he urged them to come with him. Finally they con- 
sented. 

Here again the angels, were entertained with hospitality, which 
may have reminded them of Abraham’s kindness, for Lot brought 
water to wash their dusty feet and prepared good things for them to 
eat Possibly Lot did not yet know that they were heavenly beings; 


WHAT HAPPENED TO SODOM 47 

but he thought they were strangers unlike the wicked men who lived in 
that city. 

Soon the news spread all over Sodom that Lot had two strange- 
Iooking visitors at his home, and men came hurrying from every part 
of the city to see them. They planned to hurt them. But when Lot re- 
fused to let them see his guests, they pushed himi aside and tried to 



LOT AND HIS DAUGHTERS FLEEING FROM SODOM 


break open the door. At this the angels drew Lot quickly inside, and 
then smote the men with blindness. 

Now, Lot knew that his visitors wlere angels, and that they had 
come to destroy Sodom because it was such a wicked place. He went 
out to the homes of his sons-in-law, two men of Sodom, and told them 
that the Lord was going to destroy their city. Blut they would not be- 
lieve his words. And they would not listen when he told them to hurry 
and escape for their lives. So the night passed by. 

When the early morning came, before the sun lightened the earth, 
the angels urged Lot and his wife and their two daughters to make 


48 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


haste and flee out of the city lest they also be destroyed. How hard it 
seemed for Lot to leave his home and his riches to be destroyed! But 
God was merciful to him, and the angels seized him! and his family and 
dragged them outside the city. Then they bade them flee to the moun- 
tains for their lives, and not even pause long enough to take a back- 
ward glance toward their old home, because God would soon destroy 
all the cities of that rich valley, and unless they hurried awlay they too 
should perish. But Lot’s wife did not obey the angel’s words. She 
looked back, and her body became changed into a pillar of salt. 

Poor, unhappy Lot! fear now tormented him from every direc- 
tion. He thought his life would not be safe even in the mountains, for 
wild animals might devour him there. So he prayed to God to spare 
a small city near by and allow him and his daughters to enter that place. 
God heard hisi prayer and granted his request, so they fled into that 
city. That place was called Zoar, which means little. 

Just as the sun rose, Lot and his daughters entered the gate of 
Zoar, and at that time God sent a great rain of fire and brimstone upon 
Sodom; and Gomorrah and all the neighboring cities. So terrible was 
the fire that it completely destroyed the cities and all the wicked peo- 
ple near by. Lot and his daughters feared that their lives were not 
safe in Zoar, so they hurried to the mountains, where God had first told 
them to go. There they lived in a cave-home, far away from other peo- 
ple. After this time we hear no more about Lot, the man whose home 
and riches were destroyed because he chose to live among wicked people 
who hated God. 


STORY 12 

THE LITTLE BOY WHO BECAME A GREAT HUNTER 

Gen. 20—21: 21 

After the destruction of Sodom and the other cities of the plain, 
Abraham moved away from Hebron. He journeyed south and west, into 
the land of the Philistines, near the Great Sea, and made his home in 
a place called Gerar. Here he lived only a short time when God gave 
to him and Sarah the child of promise. Abraham named the child 
Isaac (a word meaning, in his language, “ laughing”) because both he 
and Sarah had laughed when God told them that they should have a son 
in their old age. 

When the baby Isaac grew old enough to toddle about his tent- 
home, and to lisp words, his father Abrahaml made a great feast for 


THE' LITTLE BOY WHO BECAME A GREAT HUNTER 49 


him. Perhaps many friends were invited, and every one knew that 
Isaac’s parents thought he was a very wonderful little boy indeed. Be- 
fore the day passed, however, something happened which brought sad- 
ness to the kind heart of Abraham. 

You remember that Ishmael, the son of Hagar, Sarah’s maid, also 
lived in Abraham ’s tent. These two boys, Ishmael and Isaac, may have 
played together sometimes, although Ishmael was much older than 
Abraham’s little son. On this feast-day, when everybody else was 
happy, Ishmael was unkind to Isaac. Perhaps he felt jealous of the 
honor that Isaac was receiving from so many people. 

When Sarah heard how unkindly Ishmael had treated her little 
boy she became angry, and called Abraham. 44 You must send Ishmael 
and his mother aWay, ’ ’ she told him, 4 4 for I do not want our little boy 
to grow up with such a rude companion.” Now, Abraham loved Ish- 
mael too, and he felt sad to hear that the boy had mistreated his son. 
He thought that Ishmael might learn to be kind; but God told him to 
send the boy and his mother away, just as Sarah had said. 

So the next morning Abraham called Hagar and told her that she 
must take Ishmael and go away. He gave her food for the journey and 
placed upon her shoulder a bottle filled with water. This bottle was 
not made of glass, but of the skin of an animal ; for people used skin- 
bottles in that long-ago time. Then Abraham bid them good-by, and 
perhaps he watched them as they started toward the land of Egypt, 
where Hagar used to live when she was a little girl. 

The road to Egypt led through the same desert where the angel 
spoke to Hagar when she had run away from Sarah’s tent. On this 
second journey Hagar missed the road and wandered off into the track- 
less wilderness. She did not know which way to take ; and after a while 
there was no more food in her basket nor water in the bottle which 
Abraham had given. And the hot sun beamed down upon the dry, 
burning sand all day, until Hagar and Ishmael grew so thirsty, faint, 
and weak that they could go no farther. Then Hagar laid her suffering 
boy beneath the shade of a little bush, and went away. 4 4 1 can not bear 
to see him suffer and die, ’ ’ she said, and then she wept. 

But God had not forgotten about Hagar and her boy. Just as he 
had seen her on her first journey into the wilderness, so hd could see 
her now as she sat weeping all alone. And soon she heard a voice call- 
ing to her out of heaven, 4 4 What is the cause of your sorrow, Hagar? 
Do not be afraid, for God has heard Ishmael ’s cry of pain, and he will 
save his life and make of him a great nation. Go, now 1 , and lift him 
up.” Then Hagar saw a spring of water which God caused to bubble 


50 


BIBLEI-STOBY BOOK 


onti of the dry ground near by, and she quickly filled her empty bot- 
tle and gave Ishmael a drink. 

After this Hagar and Ishmael did not journey on to Egypt, but 
made their home in the wilderness, far from other people. God cared 
for them, and Ishmael grew to be a strong, wild man. He became a 
hunter, and used a bow and arrow. His children also grew' up in the 
wilderness, and were wild and strong like their father. They finally 
were called Arabians, and even today their descendants live in the des- 
ert and wander about wherever they please, just as Ishmael, their 
forefather, did so long ago. 


STOEY 13 

HOW ABRAHAM GAVE ISAAC BACK TO GOD 

i Gen. 22:1-20 

It is God’s will that people show their love for him by what they 
do. You remember how God wished to have the first man and woman 
show their love for him. He planted in their garden-home a test-tree, 
the fruit of which he commanded them not to eat. And you remember 
also how they failed to obey his command, and so failed to show their 
love. 

Abraham always listened tio God’s voice and obeyed. He left his 
own people and his homeland to journey into a country that he did not 
know, because God called him. And in our last story he sent Ishmael 
and Hagar away because God told him to do as Sarah had said. Even 
when it did not seem easy to obey, Abraham was always ready to do 
God’s bidding. 

After the baby Isaac came into Abraham’s life, God saw that Abra- 
ham’s love for the little boy was very strong. And the passing years 
increased this love, because Abraham knew that Isaac was the child 
God had promised, and he loved Isaac as a gift from God. He looked 
forward to the time when Isaac should become a man and should have 
children also, and he knew! that these children should grow up and be- 
come the fathers of more people, because God had told him these 
things. And so whenever he looked upon Isaac and thought about these 
things, he knew that in this child was bound up all the promises of God 
for the coming years. 

By and by the time came when Isaac grew far away from baby- 
hood into youth. Abraham had taught him to know about God and to 


HOW ABRAHAM GAVE ISAAC 1 BACK TO GOD 


51 


worship him. Perhaps he had taken Isaac with him when he offered 
gifts upon the altar, and he had told Isaac that God would accept the 
gifts and hear his prayers if he would try to do right. And Isaac loved 
his father Abraham, and was obedient to him. 

When God saw how dearly Abraham loved his son, and how obedi- 
ent and loving Isaac was toward his father, he thought, “I must prove 
Abraham this once more, and see whether he loves me better than he 
loves the gift-child I have given.’ ’ So he called to Abraham one day, 
and Abraham answered, “ Behold, here am I.” Then God said, ‘ 1 Take 
your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, and go into the 
land of Moriah. There give him back to me as an offering upon an 
altar, which you must build at the place I will show.” 

Abraham did not know the reason why God should ask him to give 
Isaac back as an offering. He could not understand how the promises 
concerning Isaac would be fulfilled if now he m!ust offer Isaac upon an 
altar, just like the lambs which he had given to God at other times. But 
Abraham believed that God understood why, and so he was not afraid 
to obey. 

The land of Moriah was some distance from Abraham' ’s tent, and 
the journey there would require a few days’ time. Abraham knew this, 
and he prepared to start at once. He called two young men servants 
and Isaac, then saddled his donkey, and they started away. They took 
wood and fire with which to burn the offering, and traveled on and on 
for two days, sleeping at night under the tirees. On the third day Abra- 
ham saw the mountain where God wanted him to build the altar and 
offer his gift. He left the servants with the donkey to wait by the road- 
side, while he and Isaac should go on alone. Isaac carried the wood 
upon his shoulder, and Abraham took the vessel containing the fire. 

As they climbed the mountain-side together, Isaac began to won- 
der why his father had forgotten to bring a lamb for an offering. He 
did not know what God had asked Abraham to give. He did not under- 
stand why they were going so far from home to build the altar. So he 
said, “My father, see, here is wood and fire for the altar, but where is 
the lanfb for an offering?” Abraham replied, “God will provide him- 
self a lamb . 9 9 

When they reached the place God had appointed, Abraham built 
an altar, laid the wood upon it, and then bound Isaac’s hands and feet 
and placed him upon the Wood. Next he took his knife, and was about 
to kill his only son when a loud voice called to him out of the sky, 
“Abraham ! Abraham!” The old man stopped to listen, and the angel 
of God said to him, “Do not harm Isaac. Now I know that you love 


52 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


God even better than yon love yonr child. Untie his hands and his feet, 
and let him go.” At this Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a 
thicket near by. He took this animal and offered it as a gift to God 
instead of offering his son Isaac. 

Afterward the angel called to Abraham from the sky again, and 
ffpid. have not withheld your dearly loved child from 

me, I will surely bless 
you and will cause 
your descendants to 
be as many as the 
stars in the heavens 
and as the sands upon 
the seashore. And I 
will bless all the na- 
tions of the earth 
through your de- 
scendants, because 
you have obeyed my 
voice. ’ ’ 

No doubt it was 
a happy father and 
son who walked down 
the mountain-side to- 
g e t h e r ; for now 
Abraham knew that 
he had surely pleased God, and Isaac knew that his life was precious in 
God’s sight. Abraham called the name of the place where he built the 
altar, Jehovah-jireh, which means in his language, “The Lord will pro- 
vide. ’ ’ Then they returned to the young men servants who were wait- 
ing by the roadside, and then journeyed on to their home at Beersheba, 
where Abraham had planted trees and digged a well some timie before 
this story. Here Abraham lived for many years. 



ABRAHAM ABOUT TO OFFER UP ISAAC 


STORY 14 

HOW ABRAHAM FOUND A WIFE FOR ISAAC 

Gen. 23:1-25:18 

When Sarah, Isaac’s mother, was one hundred and twenty-seven 
years old, she died. Abraham had no place to bury her, so he bought a 


HOW ABRAHAM FOUND A WIFE FOR ISAAC 


53 


field from a Hittite who was named Ephron. The field contained a cave 
such as the people of Canaan used for burial-places, and Abraham 
buried Sarah in this cave. The field and the cave were called by the 
name of Machpelah. 

After Sarah’s death, Abraham and Isaac felt lonely. Isaac was 
now grown to manhood, and Abraham thought he was old enough to 
be married. The parents usually choose wives for their sons, and hus- 
bands for their daughters, in those countries, and Abraham wished to 
choose a good wife for Isaac. He knew that the women who lived in 
Canaan were idol-worshipers, and that they would not teach their chil- 
dren to love and to worship the true God. Because he wanted Isaac’s 
children to serve God, he would not choose a young woman of Canaan 
to be Isaac’s wife. 

Then Abraham remembered the news that had come to him 1 from: 
his brother Nahor, who lived at Haran, the place in the country of Meso- 
potamia where he had stopped on) his journey to Canaan, and where 
his aged father had died. Nahor, he had been told, was now the father 
of twelve sons, some of whom had married and becomet fathers also. 
4 4 Perhaps I can send back to my own people at Haran, ’ ’ thought Abra- 
ham, 4 4 and find among them a Wife for Isaac.” So he called his trusted 
servant, Eliezer, told him about his desire, and asked him to journey 
back to Haran and try to find a God-fearing wife for Isaac. 

Eliezer knew that such a journey would require many days’ time 
and would be attended by many dangers along the way. He knew, too, 
that Abraham’s people might not be willing to send a daughter so far 
from home to become the wife of a man whom they had never met. But 
because he was a faithful servant and loved his master, Abraham, 
Eliezer said, 44 I will go.” 

Then the long journey began. Eliezer took with him ten camels, 
several attendant servants, and many valuable presents. For days 
and days they traveled, crossing valleys, hills, and rivers, and edging 
alongside the great, lonely desert. By and by they came to the land 
of Mesopotamia, to the northern part, called Padan-araml, and then at 
last their tired camels stopped outside the city of Haran and knelt 
down near a well. 

It was evening time, and the women of the city were coming to 
this well to fill their pitchers with water. Eliezer had learned to trust 
in Abraham’s God, and now he lifted up his heart and prayed that 
God would send out to this well the young woman who would be suit- 
able for Isaac’s wife. 4 4 Let it come to pass, 0 Lord,” he prayed, 4 4 that 
the young woman of whom I shall ask a drink may offer to draw water 


54 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


for my camels also. Biy this sign I shall know that she is the one whom 
you have chosen, for Abraham’s sake, to be the wife of Isaac.” 

While Eliezer was praying, a beautiful young woman approached, 
with an earthen pitcher upon her shoulder. Eliezer waited until she 
had filled the pitcher with water, then he asked for a drink. Although 
he was a stranger, she spoke kindly to him and said she would draw 
water for his camels also. Again and again she filled her pitcher and 
poured its contents into the trough that the thirsty animals might 
drink. When she had done this, Eliezer gave her some of the beauti- 
ful presents that he had brought, and asked whose daughter she was 
and whether her people could supply lodging for him and for his 
camels. At her reply that she was the granddaughter of Nahor, Abra- 



ELIEZER MEETING REBEKAH AT THE WELL 

ham ’s brother, Eliezer knew that his prayer had been answered, and 
he bowed his head and worshiped God. Then Rebekah— for this was 
the young woman’s name— told Eliezer that there was plenty of room 
in her father’s house to lodge themi all, and she hurried to tell what 



HOW ABRAHAM FOUND A WIFE FOR ISAAC 


55 


had happened at the Well and to show the beautiful presents that Eli- 
ezer had given her. 

When her brother Laban heard her story and saw the costly orna- 
ments which Eliezer had given to Rebekah, he ran eagerly to meet the 
strangers at the well and to invite them to come in. 4 ‘We have room 
for you and for your camels,” he told them, and they went with him 
into the city. Laban now showed the same kindness to his guests that 
Abraham and Lot had shown to their angel visitors. He first brought 
water to wash their feet and then set food before them. 

But Eliezer could not eat. “First let me tell why I have come,” 
he said. “I am Abraham’s servant, and God has blessed my master 
greatly, giving him flocks and herds, silver and gold, and many serv- 
ants, besides camels and asses. God also gave to him and Sarah a 
son in their old age, and now Abraham has given all his great riches to 
his son. But as yet this son, Isaac, has no wife, and Abraham will not 
take a wife for him from the daughters of Canaan, because they wor- 
ship idols. He has sent me, therefore, to you, his kinsfolk, to find a 
wife for Isaac.” Eliezer told also how Rebekah had come to the well 
and how in answer to his prayer she had offered drink to him and to 
his thirsty animals. 

Rebekah ’s father and brother Laban were willing to let her go 
back with Eliezer because they believed that God had sent him. And 
Rebekah, too, was willing to go. Eliezer was grateful to know of their 
willingness, and he bowed his head once more to worship the great God 
who had helped him on his journey. Afterward he enjoyed the feast 
which Rebekah ’s people had prepared for them. That same night he 
gave other presents of silver and gold and beautiful clothing to 
Rebekah, and to her mother and brother. 

The next morning Eliezer said, “Now let me return to my mas- 
ter.” Laban and his mother did not want to let Rebekah leave them 
so soon. “Can you not stay for a few more days?” they asked. But 
when Eliezer insisted that he must go at once, they called Rebekah, 
and she said, “I will go.” So they bade her good-by and sent her 
away With her nurse and other attending maids. 

On the homeward journey Rebekah and her maids rode the camels, 
and Eliezer led the way to Canaan. Very likely they traveled the same 
road that Abraham had traveled many years before, when he went with 
Sarah and Lot to the land that God had promised. At last they drew 
near to the place where Abraham and Isaac now lived.. The evening 
shadows were stealing through the trees, ,and Isaac was out in the 
fields alone, thinking about God, when he saw the camels coming. He 


56 


BIBLE, -STORY BOOK 


hurried to meet them, and Rebekah, seeing him, asked who he was. 
“This is my master, Isaac, ’ ’ Eliezer replied, and Rebekah lighted from 
her camel and covered her face with a veil. 

When Isaac met them, Eliezer told how Ood had answered his 
prayers and had sent Rebekah to him. Isaac took her to his mother’s 
tent, and she became his wife. He loved her, and did not grieve any 
more because of his mother ’s death. 

The time passed on, and finally Abraham died, too. He had 
reached the age of one hundred and seventy-five. Ishmael heard of his 
death and came to help Isaac bury his father. They placed his body 
in the cave where Sarah had been buried. After that time Isaac 
became the possessor of all his father’s wealth. 


STORY 15 

WHAT TWO BOYS THOUGHT ABOUT THEIR FATHER’S 
BLESSING 

. Gen. 25 : 19—27 : 41 

After some years, a change took place in Isaac’s home-life. Two 
children now played about his tent door— two little boys.. They were 
his sons. One of them, the older, was named Esau. His hair was red 
and it grew all over his body. Although he was a queer-looking child, 
yet Esau was loved dearly by his father, Isaac. The younger boy was 
named Jacob. He was not at all like his brother, and it may have 
been because of his thoughtful actions that he was loved the better by 
his mother, Rebekah. 

When Esau and Jacob grew older, their playtime hours grew less 
and they were taught to work. They learned to take care of their 
father’s cattle and sheep. Esau was fond of hunting, and would often 
take his bow and arrow and go out to the woods in search of deer. 
Not only did he know how to kill the deer, but he knew also how to 
dress and cook the meat that he brought home from his hunting-trips. 
This pleased Isaac very much, and because he liked to eat the venison 
that Esau prepared he loved Esau better than he loved Jacob. 

There is a custom among the people • of those lands to give the 
eldest son twice as much of the property upon the death of the father 
as the other children receive. This is called the “birthright.” And 
Esau, being Isaac’s eldest son, was entitled to the birthright. 

But the boy Elsau cared little about his birthright. He even 


TWO BOYS AND THEIR FATHER'S BLESSING 


57 


despised it. His younger brother, Jacob, thought much about the 
birthright and wished that it might be given to him instead of to Esau. 
He knew that he should be glad to receive his father’s blessing and 
the double portion of all his wealth, and even the tents in which they 
lived, and the servants who belonged to his father’s household. 

One day when Esau came home from his work in the field he saw 
that Jacob had just prepared a dish of tempting food. And he was 
very hungry, so he asked Jacob to give him at once som'e of the food 
to eat. Jacob answered, “I will give it all to you if you will sell me 
your birthright today. ’ ’ Esau grew hungrier than ever when he smelled 
the good food in Jacob’s dish, and he cared more for his appetite than 
he did for his birthright. “What can this birthright profit me, any- 
how,” he questioned, “seeing that I am about to die from hunger?” 
So he sold his birthright for something to eat. Now, it was very wrong 
for Esau to despise the good things that Isaac had planned to give to 
him. And after it was too late to buy back the lost birthright, Esau 
became very sorry for what he had done. 

The years passed by, and Isaac moved into another part of the 
country. Here he planted fields of grain, and God caused them to 
yield an abundant harvest. God also blessed him more by increasing 
his riches until he became so great that his neighbors envied him. 
They thought he was a mighty prince among them, and they did not 
care to have him live in their country because he was so much greater 
than they. Isaac chose rather to go away than to have trouble with 
his neighbors, so he gathered together all his wealth and all his serv- 
ants, and moved once more to another part of Canaan. Here he built 
an altar and worshiped God. Afterward his servants dug a well and 
found good water. Then Isaac called the name of the place Beersheba. 

Isaac lived at Beersheba for a long time, and finally his eyes grew 
dim with age. No longer could he look out upon the good things that 
God had given him, and he thought that soon he must die. He Wished 
to give the birthright and his blessing to Esau. Perhaps he did not 
know that Esau had long ago sold the birthright to Jacob, or he may 
have forgotten about the incident because he was now old and feeble. 
He called Esau, and said, “My son, take your bow and arrow' and go 
into the woods and hunt one more deer and bring to me the delicious 
food that you can prepare. After I have eaten of it I shall give you 
my blessing, for I am soon to die.” 

Esau hurried away at his father’s bidding. He was older now 
and wished that he had not sold his birthright. But he had done other 
things that were not right, for he had married two wives who were 


58 BIBL<E-STORY BOOK 

Canaanitish women, and this had grieved Isaac and Rebekah very 
mlich. 

Rebekah did not think that Esau was worthy to receive his father’s 
blessing. She wanted her younger son, Jacob, to become heir to God’s 
promises, and when she heard Isaac’s instructions to Esau she thought 
of a plan by which she might secure the promised blessing for Jacob. 
“My husband can not see,” she reasoned, “and I will send Jacob to 
him instead of Esau. I will cook the tender meat of two young kids, 
and season the food just as Esau prepares it. Then I will clothe Jacob 
in Esau’s raiment and thus cause my blind husband to think that Esau 
has come.” 

At first Jacob feared to try to deceive his dear old father lest his 
deception be found out and he should receive a curse instead of a bless- 
ing. But Rebekah urged him to obey her orders. “Let the sin be 
upon my own head,” she declared, “for you must receive your father’s 
blessing.” And Jacob obeyed. But, although he secured the blessing, 
we shall see later how the sin of his deception fell upon his own head, 
because sin always reacts upon the evil-doer himself and brings trouble 
and sorrow. 

Isaac was surprized when Jacob approached with the dish of food 
which Rebekah had prepared. He knew that Esau had not been absent 
long enough to hunt and kill a deer and then prepare the meat so soon. 
“How is it that you have come so soon?” he asked, and Jacob replied, 
“Your God helped me to find the deer at once.” Still Isaac won- 
dered how it could be that Esau had returned so much sooner than 
usual, and because the voice sounded like Jacob’s he said, “Gome near 
to me, that I may know whether you are indeed my very son Esau.” 
Now Rebekah had fastened the skin of a hairy animal upon Jacob’s 
hands and neck lest Isaac feel of them and discover the deception, and 
When the blind old man touched the hairy hands he said, “These are 
Esau’s hands.” Finally he ate of the delicious meat and then blessed 
Jacob with the blessing of his grandfather Abraham. 

Esau came with his dish after Jacob had gone away. “Rise up, 
my father, and eat of my venison,” he said, “then give me your bless- 
ing.” “Who are you?” exclaimed Isaac in dismay; and when Esau 
replied, “I am your very son Esau,” the old man trembled with fear. 
“Some one has come in your stead,” he told Esau, “and to him I have 
given the blessing.” 

Esau knew at once that Jacob had secured the blessing which he 
craved. “Alas!” cried the poor man, “my brother has taken away 
both my birthright and my blessing. ’ ’ And Esau wept bitterly. ‘ 4 Have 


JACOB’S JOURNEY AND WONDERFUL DREAM 


59 


you not one blessing for me also?” he entreated. Isaac was deeply 
troubled. “How can I bless you, seeing that I have given the best of 
everything to your brother?” Still Esau pleaded for a blessing, and 
finally Isaac blessed him too, with a lesser promise of greatness. 

After this time Esau’s heart was filled with hatred toward his 
brother. “Soon our father will die,” he thought, “and then I shall 
kill Jacob and take all the possessions and all the power wlhich has 
been given to him.” And with these wicked thoughts he consoled him- 
self in his disappointment and grief. 


STORY 16 

JACOB’S LONELY JOURNEY AND HIS WONDERFUL DREAM 

Gen. 27:42-29:12 

When Rebekah heard of Esau’s intention to kill his brother Jacob 
as soon as their father, Isaac, should die, she sent for Jacob at once. 
“You must prepare to go far away, ’ ’ she told him, ‘ ‘ because Esau 
is angry and plans to kill you when your father dies. Let me send 
you to my brother, Laban, who lives at Haran. Remain there with him 
for a while, and possibly Esau will forget his anger and wicked plans. 
Then you can come back again to me ; for why should I lose both you 
and your father?” 

Rebekah did not tell Isaac about Esau’s anger and about her fears 
for Jacob’s safety. But now that she wanted to send Jacob back to 
her girlhood home in order to escape from Esau’s anger she planned 
another reason for wishing to send him aw&y. She came to her blind 
husband and said, “I am very unhappy because our son Esau has 
taken heathen women to become his wives. If Jacob should marry a 
daughter of our heathen neighbors, I should wish to die. Send him 
back to my brother’s house that he may take a wife from among my 
own people.” 

Isaac also had been grieved when Esau married women who were 
idol-worshipers. Now he thought, “God’s promise which was first 
given to my father Abraham, then to me, will be given next to my son 
Jacob and to his children. If he should marry a heathen woman, then 
his children' would not be taught to worship the true God. He must not 
marry a heathen woman!” So he called Jacob, and said, “Do not take 
a wife of the daughters of Canaan, but go back to Padan-aram and 
take there a wife from your mother’s relatives. And God’s blessing 


60 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


shall be upon you, and he shall give you the blessings of your grand- 
father Abraham.” 

Jacob then bade his mother and his blind old father good-by, and 
started out on his long journey. He took no camel to ride upon and 
no servant for a companion, but journeyed all alone. He feared his 
brother’s wrath, and did not know whether he ever could return again 
to his home and feel safe. His birthright now could do him no good 
because the double portion of his father’s wealth would not become his 
own until after his father’s death, and if he should remain until that 
time he believed that his brother would surely kill him. Poor, dis- 
couraged Jacob! He must have felt unhappy indeed as he climbed the 
rocky hillslopes of Canaan and hurried away from the only home he 
had ever known. We do not know what his thoughts were as he trav- 
eled alone all the day, but perhaps he thought that Esau might try to 
overtake him and kill him before he should get far away. Perhaps he 
felt sorry because he had deceived his dear, old father, whom he might 
never see again. Perhaps he repented because he had bought Esau’s 
birthright. Whatever may have been his thoughts as he walked along 
tire dusty road, some One was listening to each and all of them. That 
One was God. 

By and by the sun went down, and Jacob may have felt lonelier 
than ever with only the dark, blue sky above him. But as he was now 
very tired, he chose a stone for his pillow, and, wrapping his cloak 
about him, lay dowln on the ground to sleep. While he slept he saw in 
a dream a wonderful ladder the top of which reached to heaven. He 
saw beautiful angels climbing up and down upon the ladder. And 
standing at the top he saw God. He dreamed that God spoke to him 
and said, “I am the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God 
of your father Isaac. The land upon which you are lying I will give 
to you and to your descendants. And your descendants shall be many, 
as many as the particles of dust upon the earth. Through your family 
I will bless all the people of the earth. Now, I am with you, and will 
be with you wherever you go, and will protect you and bring you again 
to this land. I will never leave you until I have fulfilled this promise.” 

Jacob awoke from his dream and looked about. Although he saw 
no one, he felt sure that he was not alone, because the God of his 
father had promised to be with him. He arose early in the morning 
and made an altar by piling up stones. He had no offering to give 
to God upon this altar, so he poured some oil upon the heap of stones 
and called the name of the place Bethel, wthich means, “ The house of 
God.” Then he made a vow and promised to give back to God a tenth 




JACOB’S 1 JOURNEY AND: WONDERFUL DREAM 61 

!■! i if %. 1 1 P*v 

of all that God should give to him if indeed God would go with him and 
bless him as he had promised. 

After this wonderful dream Jacob’s heart must have felt lighter 
as he hurried on his way. And every day he drew nearer the end of 
his long, tiresome journey. Then one evening, after he had left the 
lonely desert far behind, he saw some men, in a field, near a well. 
Round about them three flocks of sheep were lying down and waiting 
to be watered. This sight may have reminded him of his father’s flocks 
at home, which he had often cared for. He came nearer and spoke to 
the men. “ Where are you from?” he asked; and when they replied 
that they were men of Haran he knew that at last he was near his uncle 
Laban’s home. “Do 
you know a man of 
Haran named La- 
ban?” he asked eag- 
erly, and they an- 
swered, “Yes, we 
know him; and, see, 
here comes his 
daughter Rachel 
with his sheep. ” Ja- 
cob saw a beautiful 
young shepherdess 
approaching and he 
hurried to meet her. 

He rolled the stone 
away from the well 
and watered her 
sheep, then told her 
that he was her cous- 
in, the son of her father’s sister, Rebekah. His joy upon seeing one 
of his relatives after such a long, lonely journey brought tears to 
Jacob’s eyes and he wept as he kissed the beautiful girl. 

No doubt Laban had told Rachel about the strange men who had 
come from his granduncle Abraham a long time ago and who had 
taken his sister to become the wife of Abraham’s son, Isaac. And so 
Rachel hurried home to tell her father that his sister’s son had arrived 
from Canaan and was nowl taking charge of his flock of sheep at the 
well. 



JACOB MEETING BEAUTIFUL RACHEL 


62 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 17 

HOW JACOB WAS DECEIVED BY LABAN 

Gen. 29:13-31:55 

When Rachel told her father, Laban, that Jacob had arrived, he 
hurried out to meet his nephew and to welcome him to his home. He 
was glad to hear tidings from his sister, Rebekah, and to speak face 
to face with her favorite son. A ! t first he showed much kindness to 
Jacob. 

As the days passed by Jacob willingly assisted his uncle at his 
work. Then at the end of the first month Laban said, “Let me pay you 
for vour services. What do you ask for wages ?” Jacob replied, “I 
will serve you faithfully for seven years if at the end of that time you 
will give me your beautiful daughter, Rachel, to be my wife.” This 
may seem a strange request, but Jacob loved Rachel and wished to 
marry her. He loved her so much that to him: the seven years of hard 
toil seemed only a few days. 

At the end of the period of service Jacob reminded his uncle that 
the time for pay-day had arrived. Laban then arranged a marriage 
feast. He invited many friends to attend the wedding. In the even- 
ing he brought the bride to Jacob. A large veil was thrown about her 
that no one might look upon her face. This was the usual custom of 
those people, and even Jacob could not see the face of the woman he 
was taking to become his wife. Among some people this strange cus- 
tom is still practised. 

After the ceremony had ended and Jacob was permitted to see his 
wife’s face he saw— not the beautiful Rachel, whom he loved so dearly 
and for whom, he had toiled seven years, but her elder sister, Leah. 
Now Leah did not look beautiful to Jacob, and he had not loved her. 
Be had not wanted to marry her. How unhappy he felt when he real- 
ized that his uncle had deceived him ! Perhaps he remembered how he 
had deceived his blind father, and how he had cheated his brother 
out of the blessing. Now he was suffering from the same kind of 
sins that he himself had committed against others. And now he under- 
stood how painful it is to be deceived or cheated. 

When Jacob demanded an explanation of the deception, Laban 
said that it was not customary in their country to allow the younger 
daughter to marry first. “If you will serve me for seven years longer, 
you may have Rachel also for your wife,” Laban added; and because 
Jacob loved Rachel he decided to remain with his uncle for seven more 


HOW JACOB WAS DECEIVED BY LABAN 


63 


years. We see that those people did not think it a sinful thing for one 
man to have several wives. Nowadays only very wicked men and 
heathen people allow such customs. 

When the fourteen years had passed by, Jacob desired to return 
again to Canaan. But Laban was unwilling to let him go. 4 ‘ While 
you have been with me,” he told Jacob, “the Lord has blessed me for 
your sake.” When Jacob insisted that he needed to provide for his 
own family, Laban agreed to let him have a part of the cattle and 
sheep and goats. These Jacob separated from Laban’s flocks and herds 
and placed in charge of his sons. He continued to have charge of 
Laban’s flocks, but kept his own at a distance of three days’ journey 
from Laban’s home. And God blessed Jacob and increased his pos- 
sessions until soon he became rich. He bought camels and pisses, and 
owned many servants. And God gave him eleven sons and one 
daughter. 

When Jacob’s riches increased, Laban’s sons became envious of 
him. They said that he had gotten his riches dishonestly. Laban, too, 
began to feel unkindly toward him. Then the! angel of God spoke to 
Jacob in a dream- and comforted him. “I am the God of Bethel,” the 
angel said, “where you anointed the heap of stones, and where you 
made a vow to me. The time has come for you to return again to 
your people in Canaan. I will be with you. ’ ’ 

Jacob remembered that Laban had been unwilling before to let 
him go when he expressed a desire to return to his father. Now! he 
feared that Laban would not allow him to take his daughters, Leah 
and Rachel, to far-off Canaan, so he decided to go away secretly. He 
waited until Laban went to shear his sheep. Then he called Leah and 
Rachel out into the field and told them that their father no longer felt 
kindly toward him. He told them also that God had talked to him and 
had charged him to return again to Canaan. And they replied, “We 
are ready to go With you, for our father has sold us.” They believed 
that God was with Jacob. 

Busy days followed, in which Jacob prepared to start out on the 
long road over which he had traveled twenty years before. The sheep 
and the goats and the cattle and the camels and the asses were all col- 
lected from the fields where they had been grazing on the tender grass. 
The servants drove the animals, while Jacob’s wives and children rode 
on camels. Across the fields they went, and onto the road which wound 
along the lonely wilderness, where wild mountains rose on the one side 
and dreary desert sand stretched far away on the other side. Finally 
they came to a camping-place in mount Gilead where they stopped to rest. 


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But we must not forget that things were happening back at Haran. 
Some one told Laban that Jacob had gone away and had taken all his 
possessions. Laban was angry because J acob had departed, and still 
more vexed with him because he had stolen away in secret. “I shall 
overtake him,” thought the angry man, and possibly he planned to 
compel Jacob to return again to Haran. He took with him several 
men and hurried in pursuit of Jacob’s company. For seven days they 
followed fast, and at last they saw the tents which Jacob had pitched 
in mount Gilead. But before they reached the place God spoke to 
Laban and warned him not to harm Jacob. 

This warning from God caused Laban to feel less angry toward 
Jacob, and soon their quarrel was ended. Afterward Jacob set up a 
stone for a pillar and the other men gathered stones together in a heap. 
Laban called this heap of stones Mispeh, which means, “A watch- 
tower.” And he said to Jacob, “May God watch over us while we are 
absent from each other.” Then, bidding his daughters and their chil- 
dren an affectionate farewell, he turned back toward his home, at 
Haran, leaving Jacob and his family to continue their journey toward 
Canaan. 


STORY 18 

WHY JACOB’S NAME WAS CHANGED TO ISRAEL 

Genesis 32—35 

Although twenty years had passed since Jacob ’s flight from Canaan 
he had never forgotten the fear that had driven him to Haran. And 
the memory of that fear still troubled him— what if Esau should never 
forgive him? 

God knew about Jacob’s fear, and he sent a company of angels 
to meet him. After this Jacob felt more courageous and sent some 
messengers to his brother to announce his coming. He felt that unless 
Esau should welcome him home he could not be happy in Canaan. 

But Esau no longer lived in Canaan. He had moved with his fam- 
ily to the country of E|dom, which lies south and east of the Dead Sea. 
There the messengers found him and told him that Jacob was return- 
ing to Canaan. He sent word back with the /messengers that he would 
come with four hundred men to meet Jacob. 

This news from Esau troubled Jacob greatly. He thought that 
Esau was intending to kill him and his wives and children. He quickly 
divided his company into two bands and sent one before the other. 


WHY JACOB’S NAME. WAS CHANGED TO ISRAEL 65 


But first lie sent a valuable present of sheep and oxen, camels and asses 
to bis brother, hoping thereby to arouse a kindly feeling in Esau’s heart. 
After nightfall he moved his camp across the brook, and then returned 
alone. Then in the darkness a strange man took hold of him and 
wrestled all the night. Jacob wrestled earnestly, and neither of them 
gained advantage of the other. When the morning began to dawn 
Jacob saw that he had been wrestling with the angel of God. The 



THE ANGEL TELLING JACOB TO LET HIM GO 

angel said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob an- 
swered, "I will not let you go until you bless me.” Then the angel 
asked, “What is your name!” and he said, "Mjy name is Jacob.” 
The angel told him that his name should thereafter be Israel, because 
he had wrestled with God. Israel means, "A prince of God.” When 
the angel departed, Jacob was crippled in his thigh, for the angel had 
struck his thigh. Jacob called the namie of the place Peniel, which 


66 


BIBLEhSTCXRY BOOK 


means, 1 1 The face of God, ’ 7 because there he saw God face to face and 
received the blessing that he sought. 

When the sun arose, Jacob crossed the brook and joined the com- 
pany of his family again. And soon he saw his brother Esau coming 
to meet him. No doubt his heart beat fast as he arranged his wives 
and children in separate groups and then hurried forward to be the 
first to greet Esau. According to the custom of those people he bowed 
himself to the ground in a very humble manner as he approached his 
brother. Seven times he bowed thus, as those people do when they 
meet some great person. Then Esau rushed forward and embraced 
Jacob very affectionately and kissed him). The two brothers wept for 
jov, and all the bitterness of the past seemed to be forgotten. 

Afterward Jacob presented his wives and their children to his 
brother, and told him how God had blessed himl while he lived at Haran. 

Esau inquired about the animals that he had met, and J acob told 
him that they were his present. Esau at first refused to accept them 
because he, too, had much Wealth ; but finally he consented to take them 
jas a gift from his brother. 

After their short visit together, Esau returned again to his home 
in the land of Edom, and Jacob journeyed on to Canaan. At Shechem 
he bought a field, where he built an altar and worshiped God. He felt 
very grateful because God had given him a safe journey from Haran. 
Later he moved to Bethel, at God’s command, and built another altar 
in memory of the promise that God had given to him when he slept 
at that place while fleeing from his brother. God appeared to him 
again, and once more told him that he should be called Jacob no longer, 
but Israel. God also enlarged the promise that he had made concern- 
ing Jacob’s descendants, and told him that kings should be born among 
them in the coming years. 

From Bethel, Jacob and his family moved southward toward his 
old home at Hebron, where! his father, Isaac, still lived. Many years 
had passed since he had traveled that same road, alone and afraid; 
now he was returning to his father’s house bringing with him enough 
servants to form two companies, besides his own family. Surely God 
had blessed him ; and his heart was glad. 

But before they arrived at Hebron a sad thing happened. Rachel 
died, leaving a tiny baby boy, whom] she had named Benjamjin. Jacob 
buried her at Bethlehem, and set a pillar upon her grave. Afterwards 
he came to Hebron. 

Isaac was now a very old man, and for many years he had been 
expecting to die. No doubt he rejoiced when Jacob returned safely 


HOW JACOB’S FAVORITE SON BECAME A SLAVE 67 


from his long sojourn at Hjaran, bringing with him twelve sons and a 
daughter. But Isaac did not live much longer after this -time, and 
when he died— at the age of one hundred and eighty years— Esau came 
and helped Jacob bury him. 


STORY 19 

HOW JACOB’S FAVORITE SON BECAME A SLAVE 

Genesis 37 

Among Jacob’s twelve sons was one whom he loved better than 
the others. That one was Joseph— the eleventh born in his household 
and the eldest son of Rachel, his beloved wife. Joseph was a good boy 
indeed, just the kind of boy that a father can trust to do right. Sad 
to say, his elder brothers were not so careful to always do right, and 
their wrong-doing brought much pain to Jacob’s heart. 

Because Jacob loved Joseph so tenderly his brothers became 
envious of him. And when Jacob made a wonderful coat of many colors 
and gave it to Joseph, the older sons allowed a bitter feeling of hatred 
to creep into their wicked hearts. They hated Joseph. One day while 
he was in the field with four of them he saw their evil conduct and on 
his return home he told his father how wrongly they had behaved. By 
doing this he increased the bitter feeling that was growing against 
him in his brothers ’ hearts, for wicked people are always angered when 
some one exposes their wickedness. Joseph’s brothers would no longer 
speak kindly to him. 

Joseph was now about seventeen years old. One night he had a 
strange dream. He told his brothers about it. “We were together 
in the field binding sheaves,” he said, “and my sheaf stood upright 
while yours bowed down around it.” 

“Do you think you are some day going to rule over us?” the 
brothers asked in angry voices; and they hated him even more than 
before. 

Soon Joseph dreamed again, a dream more strange than the other 
one had been. This time he saw the sun, the moon, and eleven stars 
bowing down before him. If such a dream had any meaning at all, 
how could it mean anything else than that he should some day become 
a ruler before whom his relatives should bow themselves? Joseph 
wondered about the dream and he told it to his father and brothers. 
His father Was displeased, because he thought it would be wrong for 
a man to bow down before his son. That would seem to make Joseph 


68 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


greater, better, and wiser than he. Still he wondered what such a 
dream could mean, and he thought much about the matter. 

Now Jacob and his family were living at Hebron, where Abraham 
had lived so long ago with his many servants and flocks and herds. 
Jacob’s flocks were so large that they could not find enough pasture 
near by at all seasons, and sometimes they had to be taken far from 
home to find grass and water. The time came again when it was neces- 
sary to find pasture elsewhere, so Jacob sent his ten eldest sons to 
Shechem with the cattle and sheep. After they had been away from 
home for some weeks, Jacob sent Joseph on an errand to learn whether 
or not the young men were getting on well with their work. 

Joseph started out alone on his long journey of fifty miles to 
Shechem. When he came to the place, he could not find his brothers, 
nor their flocks. He did not know where to go in search of them. Soon 
a man who lived in a town near by met him and told him that his 
brothers had gone to Dothan, to find better pasture. Joseph then jour- 
neyed on, over the hills and across the valleys, to Dothan, which was' 
fifteen miles further from Hebron, and there he saw the flocks feeding 
on the green grass long before he arrived at the place. 

When the brothers saw a young man coming across the fields clad 
in a beautifully colored coat they said at once to each other, “Here 
comes the Dreamer. Let us kill him, and we shall see what will become 
of his dreams.” The eldest brother, Reuben, felt more kindly toward 
Joseph and wished to save his life. But he feared the others would 
not listen if he should tell them not to harm Joseph, so he said, “Let 
us not kill him ; only throw him down into this pit and leave him alone 
to die.” The others quickly agreed to do as Reuben said, and when 
Joseph approached they seized him, tore off his beautiful coat, and 
roughly put him into the deep pit. Then they sat down on the ground 
and ate their lunch, paying no heed to his pitiful cries. 

Now Reuben did not intend to leave Joseph alone to die. He 
planned to come back as soon as the others should go away, and rescue 
his young brother from such a sad death. Biut it was not going to be 
Reuben, after all, who should draw 1 Joseph from the pit. 

While the brothers were eating their lunch, Reuben went to an- 
other part of the field, and during his absence a company of traveling 
merchants came riding by on camels. Some of these travelers were 
called Ishmaelites, because they were descendants of Ishmael, and 
they were going to Egypt to sell rich spices and perfumed gum, which 
had been gathered from trees in other countries. “Now!” thought 
Judah, another of Joseph’s elder brothers, “here is an opportunity to 


HOW JACOB’S FAVORITE SON BEjOAME A SLAVE 69 


make some money, and to get rid of our brother without letting him 
die.” So, calling his brothers, he said, “It would be better to sell 
Joseph to these merchants than to leave him to die in the pit; for even 
though we despise him, he is our brother.” The others were quite 
willing toi sell Joseph; so they drew him out of the pit, and soon he 



JOSEPH BEING SOLD AS A SLAVE 


saw himself being exchanged to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of 
silver. 

Poor Joseph ! this was a sad time for him. Now he knew that he 
should be taken far aw!ay by rough strangers who had become his mas- 
ters. Now he was sold ! All his pleading and all his tears did not soften 


70 


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the hearts of his wicked brothers, who greedily divided the money 
among themselves and supposed that they were forever rid of him. 
Perhaps they did not even watch the caravan as it moved slowly away 
toward the south, and disappeared from view behind the green-clad 
hills. 

After the Ishmaelites passed on and the brothers too went awuy 
to different parts of the field, Reuben came hurrying back to the pit. 
Stooping down, he called to Joseph; hut no answer came from the 
dark hole. Again and again he called, thinking perhaps that Joseph 



A MODERN PICTURE OF WHERE JOSEPH LIVED WHEN A BOY ALSO SHOWIXfl 
HIS MOTHER’S GRAVE ' 


had fallen asleep, but still the silence was unbroken— Joseph did not 
reply. Then, after a while, Reuben knew that his brother was not 
there. What should he do? Now he forgot he had been afraid to let 
his brothers know* that he had intended all the while to rescue Joseph 
from their hands. He forgot everything except the fact that Joseph 
had disappeared. He believed some dreadful thing had happened to 


JOSEPH A PRISONER IN EGYPT 


71 


the poor boy. Perhaps a wild beast had devoured him. Tearing his 
clothes as people did when they were in deep trouble, he returned to 
his brothers and said, 4 ‘ The child is gone, and what shall I do V ’ Being 
the eldest son, he felt that he should have taken care of his brother. 

Next came the question of how they should account to their father 
for the disappearance of his favorite son. Finally they decided to dip 
Joseph’s coat in blood, killing a young kid for this purpose, and take 
the blood-stained garment back to their father, telling him that they 
had found it in that condition. We see that they were planning to use 
& wicked lie to cover up their wicked deed. 

Jacob was alarmed when his sons returned without Joseph. When 
he saw the blood-dyed coat he knew it was the very one that he had 
made for the lost boy, and he believed at once that wild animals had 
torn Joseph in pieces. Tearing his own garments apart and dressing 
himself in rough cloth called sackcloth, he sat down and mourned bit- 
terly for many days, refusing to be comforted. 


STORY 20 

JOSEPH A PRISONER IN EGYPT 

Gen. 37:36-40:23 

At the end of their long, dusty journey the Ishmaelites arrived 
with Joseph in Egypt. Here Joseph found himself surrounded by a 
dark-skinned people who spoke a different language from his own. 
And here he saw large cities, wonderful temples for idol-worship, 
mighty pyramids, and the great River Nile. How strange all these 
things must have seem(ed to this) boy, who had always lived in tents ! 

The Ishmaelites took Joseph to the city where the king of Egypt 
lived, and there they sold him to an officer in the king’s army. Joseph 
could never forget how terror-stricken he had felt when his own broth- 
ers sold him as a slave. But he was a sensible lad, and when he real- 
ized that he was indeed a slave he tried to be obedient to his master. 
And God did not forget him, nor the wonderful dreams he had given 
to Joseph when he Was yet at home. God was now preparing Joseph 
for the time when those dreams should come true. Although Joseph 
could not understand God’s plan, yet he trusted in God to help him 
do right. 

The Egyptian o|fficer who bought Joseph was named Potiphar. He 
was a very rich man and had many other servants. Joseph soon 


72 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


learned the speech of the Egyptians, and because he showed a cheerful, 
obedient spirit, Potiphar took special notice of him. He saw that 
Joseph was always honest and that he had a good understanding of 
business affairs. After a while he gave all the oversight of his house- 
hold and his riches into Joseph’s care, and for Joseph’s sake God 
blessed the Egyptian officer with greater riches. For several years 
Joseph remained in Potiphar ’s house — a slave in name only, for in 
reality he was the ruler over liis fellow slaves and the caretaker of his 
master’s wealth. 

Then there came a sudden change. Potiphar ’s wife was not a 
good woman, and she often tried to persuade Joseph to do* wickedly. 
Because he would not, she finally became angry with him and accused 
him falsely to her husband. Potiphar believed the lie that she told, 
and to punish Joseph he thrust the* noble young man into the king’s 
prison. How cruel this wlas! Perhaps Joseph wondered why he must 
suffer so often because of the sins of other people. To be a slave had 
seemed bad enough; to be thrust into prison while trying to do right 
was even worse. 

But Joseph was not the kind of person to fret and pout because of 
trouble. He showed a cheerful spirit even in the prison, and his 
manly face soon attracted the attention of the prison-keeper. Day 
after day the keeper watched him, and finally he decided that Joseph 
was the very one he needed to help care for the other prisoners. After 
a while he gave Joseph full charge of all, the prisoners, and doubtless 
Joseph was once more as busy as he had been in Potiphar ’s house. 

About that time Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, became much dis- 
pleased with two of his special servants— the chief butler, who served 
him with wines, and the chief baker, who served him with bread. 
Because of his displeasure he put both of them into prison, and Joseph 
cared for them there. 

One morning Joseph found these men looking unusually sad. “ Why 
are you so troubled?” he asked. And they replied, “We have had 
strange dreams, and there is no one here to tell, us the meaning of 
them. In the king’s court there are wise men who often tell the 
meaning of dreams, but we can not send for them to come to us in 
prison.” 

“Surely God knows the meaning of your dreams,” Joseph told 
them, “and I am his servant.. Tell me, therefore, what you have 
dreamed. He may reveal to me the true meaning.” 

The chief butler was first to tell his dream. “I saw a grape-vine 
with three branches,” he said, “and while I looked upon it the buds 


JOSEPH A RULER IN EGYPT 


73 


shot forth and became blossoms, and the blossoms became clusters 
of grapes. Then I squeezed the juice of the grapes into' Pharaoh’s 
cup, which I held in my hand. This I gave to the king as I used to do 
when I stood by his table. ’ ’ 

God made Joseph to know the meaning of the dream, and Joseph 
said, “The three branches that you saw are three days; after that 
time you will be restored to your former position in the king’s palace. 
But I beg you to remember me when it shall be well with you again, 
and make mention of me to Pharaoh ; for I have been stolen from' my 
father’s house and sold a captive among these people. And for no 
wrong-doing of mine I have been thrust into this prison.” 

The chief baker now told what his dream had been, and wished 
Joseph to tell its meaning. “There were three baskets upon my head,” 
he said, “and in the topmost one there were bakemieats for the king’s 
table. While I held them, the birds flew down and ate the contents of 
the topmost basket.” 

Through the wisdom of God, Joseph knew the meaning of this 
dream, too. He felt sorry 1 to tell its meaning, though, because he knew 
that his words would bring more grief to the chief baker’s heart. But 
the chief baker expected him to tell, so he said, “In your dream the 
three baskets mean three days. At that time the king will take you 
from the prison and hang your body upon a tree, and the birds will 
eat your flesh.” 

Three days later Pharaoh held a great feast for his servants in 
honor of his birthday. Dining the feast he removed both the chief 
butler and the chief baker from the prison and disposed of them just 
as Joseph had said he would. But the chief butler soon forgot about 
Joseph, and two years passed by before he remembered to speak to 
the king about the one who had been kind to him while he was in prison. 


STORY 21 

JOSEPH A RULER IN EGYPT 

Genesis 41 

One morning Pharaoh wakened from sleep wondering about the 
meaning of two strange dreams that he had dreamed during the night. 
He called the wise m)en of Egypt to tell him whaf the dreams meant, 
but they could not. Then he felt greatly troubled. 

When the chief butler heard about the king’s distress, he thought 


74 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


at once of his own experience when he was in prison. And he remem- 
bered Joseph’s kindness. How long he had forgotten that noble young 
man! Now he told Pharaoh about Joseph, and immediately the king 
sent for him. 

Joseph was busy caring for the prisoners and thinking perhaps 
that the chief butler had forever forgotten him! when the messenger 
came from the king’s palace. 4 ‘Pharaoh wishes to see you: come 
at once,” the messenger said. 

Joseph shaved his face and changed his prison clothes for clean, 
fresh garments. Then he hurried to the royal palace, wondering as he 
went why Pharaoh had sent for him. ‘ 1 If only he Would grant me lib- 
erty,” he thought, “how happy I should be!” 

At the palace Pharaoh was anxiously waiting to see him. Others, 
too, were waiting, and all were feeling deeply troubled. “If this 
strange young man can not help, what shall we do!” they were wonder- 
ing. Then there came a sound of footsteps outside the door, and 
Joseph was brought into their midst. Fair-skinned and handsome, he 
at once attracted the attention of all, and they thought, “Here indeed 
is some one different from us, and perhaps he can help.” Then Pha- 
raoh spoke : 

‘ ‘ I have heard of you, ’ ’ he said, ‘ ‘ that you can tell the true mean- 
ing of dreams. And I have dreamed two dreams which trouble me 
greatly ; therefore I have sent for you because none of the wise men of 
E'gypt can tell me what these dreams mean. ’ ’ 

Joseph replied, “This wisdom does not belong to me, but to the 
God whom I serve. Tell me what your dreams were, and he will give 
the meaning of them.” 

And Pharaoh answered: “In my dream I was standing by the 
River Nile, and presently I saw seven fat cattle come up out of the 
river and feed in the green meadow. Later I saw seven other cattle 
come up out of the river and stand upon the bank. These seven were 
very lean, and I saw them approach the seven fat cattle and eat them 
up. Still they were as thin as they had been at the first. Then I awoke. 

“Afterwards I fell asleep and dreamed again, and saw seven ears 
of corn grow up out of a stalk. Full, good ears they were, and while I 
was looking at them seven other ears sprang up after them— withered, 
thin, and blasted with the east wind. These thin ears devoured the 
good ones, and once more I awoke.” 

“Your dreams are indeed wonderful,” Joseph told the king, “and 
both of them have the same meaning. By them God is making known 
to you what he is about to do. 


JOSEPH A RULER IN EGYPT 


75 



JOSEPH TELLING THE MEANING 
OF PHARAOH’S DREAMS 


“The seven fat cattle are seven years, and so also are the seven 
good, full ears of corn. And in like manner the seven lean cattle and 
the seven thin, withered ears are seven years which shall follow the 
first seven. God is making known to you by these dreams that there 
shall be seven years of plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, and 
afterwards there shall be seven 
years of famine. These years of 
famine shall be so severe that the 
seven years of plenty shall be for- 
gotten, and everything shall be 
eaten up throughout the land. 

1 1 God has given you these two 
dreams to show you that these 
things will surely come to pass 
soon. He has warned you in this 
manner to prepare for the time of 
famine, lest it come upon you and 
destroy every living creature in 
your kingdom. It will be well for 
you to appoint a wise man tot look 
after the food-supply. Let him, during the seven plentiful years, lay 
aside enough each year to make sure of enough for all your people 
during the years when nothing shall grow.” 

Pharaoh and the attendants who stood near his throne listened at- 
tentively to Joseph’s words, and when he had finished speaking the 
king said, 4 ‘Surely the Spirit of God is in this man and his words are 
good. Can we find another who could more wisely manage the affairs 
of this kingdom than he?” And so it came about that .Pharaoh made 
Joseph ruler over all the land of Egypt. 

And Pharaoh clothed Joseph in royal robes and put a gold chain 
about his neck. He took his signet ring from off his hand and placed 
it upon Joseph’s, and said, “You shall be overseer of my house, and 
your word shall govern my people in all the land of Egypt. Only in 
the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh gave Joseph the 
second chariot that he had. In this Joseph rode through the streets of 
the city and the people bowed themselves before him. Pharaoh called 
Joseph, Zaphnath-paaneah, which means, “The man to whom secrets 
are revealed.” He also gave Joseph an Egyptian princess for his 
wife. 

All this prosperity did not change the heart of Joseph, for he re- 
mained kind and just to all. Hay after day he rode through the land 


76 


BIBLE-STGRY BOOK 


and gathered up the food which grew everywhere in abundance. This 
excess food he stored into buildings for future needs, until finally he 
had an enormous quantity laid aside for the years of famine. 

During this time God blessed Joseph with two sons, whom he 
named Manasseh and Ephraim. And Joseph was grateful to God for 
all his blessings. He realized that all his troubles had brought about 
the great honor that he now enjoyed. 

When the seven years of plenty had passed by, the years of trouble 
began. Nowhere in all the land of Egypt would the fields yield any 
growth, and people began to have need of food. Then they came to 
Joseph, and he opened the storehouses, which had been filled during the 
years of plenty, and sold food to the Egyptians. 

Not only in Egypt did the terrible famine rage, but also in the 
countries round about. From far and near people came to Joseph, im- 
ploring him to sell corn to them] lest they die of hunger. 


STORY 22 

HOW JOSEPH’S DREAMS CAME TRUE 

Genesis 42 

In the land of Canaan the deadly famine was making itself felt. 
Food was becoming scarce, and people were wondering what they 
should do. Then good news came that there was plenty of food in 
Egypt. 

Jacob and his eleven sons were rich in silver and gold and cattle. 
But without grain their riches could not keep them alive. So Jacob 
sent his ten eldest sons to Egypt to buy corn. He kept, his youngest 
son, Benjamin, at home, because he loved Benjamin the best of all after 
Joseph was taken away from him,. He would never allow Benjamin to 
go far away from home lest some dreadful thing should happen to him 
also. 

More than twenty years had now passed by since the ten brothers 
tore Joseph away from his father’s loving care. During those years 
the brothers had growin more thoughtful of each other, and they did 
not envy Benjamin because he was loved the best. They were kind to 
him. No doubt they often thought about the terrible wrong they had 
done by selling Joseph. 

Now, as they journeyed to Egypt, perhaps they remembered that 
the merchants who bought Joseph were going to that same country. 


HOW JOSEPH'S DREAMS CAME TRUE 


77 


And they may have passed along the very same road. But unpleasant 
thoughts are never cheerful traveling companions, and the brothers 
may have tried to think about other things. They saw 1 new stretches 
of country before them and eagerly watched for the first glimpse of 
Egypt. 

When they arrived in Egypt, things looked different from what 
they had expected. The fields were just as barren as those of Canaan. 
But they soon learned that although 
the famine was raging in Egypt, plen- 
ty of food was to be had there, for the 
great storehouses were filled with an 
abundance of corn. As every one who 
wished to buy food came to Joseph, 
they also came. 

But the brothers did not know Jo- 
seph. More than twenty years had 
changed him from a mere lad into a 
full-grown man. Now he sat upon a 
throne, dressed like a prince, and 
every one who approached him with a 
request bowed humbly before him just 
as if he were the king. His ten broth- 
ers also bowed down before him, as 
the other people did. 

Joseph knew his brothers at once, 
and when they bowed before him he 
remembered his dreams. Now he knew those dreams had come true, 
and he understood why God had permitted him to be sold into Egypt. 
He wished to know if his brothers had changed during the years that 
had passed. So he pretended that he did not know them. He spoke to 
them in the language of the Egyptian people and pretended to be stem 
and harsh. 

“Who are you?” he demanded roughly. 

They replied, “We are men of Canaan, and we are brothers/’ 

“You are spies,” he told them, “and I know you have come to see 
the stricken condition of our country. You wish to bring an army 
against us.” 

“Indeed we are not spies,” they answered, “for we are true men, 
and we have come to buy food for ourselves and our families.” 

Joseph insisted that they were surely spies, and they told him 
again that they were brothers, the sons of one man. 



JOSEPH’S BROTHERS BOWING 
BEFORE HIM. IN EGYPT 


78 


BIBBE-STGRY BOOK 



4 Os your father yet alive ?” he asked, “and have you another 
brother?” What strange questions! they thought, and they told him 
about their aged father and about his tender love for Benjamin. 

Now Joseph wondered whether they were kind to Benjamin. He 
also wondered if they cared more for their father’s happiness than 

they did when they sold his son Jo- 
seph to the Ishmaelites. He thought, 
“I must find out these things before 
I let them know that I am Joseph.” 
So he said, “You must prove to me 
that you are not spies. I will put 
nine of you into prison and the oth- 
er one I will send back to Canaan. 
If he will return with the youngest 
brother of whom you told me, then 
I will believe that you are true 
men. ’ ’ 

Into prison, where he had spent 
several long years, Joseph now 
placed his ten brothers ; not because 
he hated them, but because he 
wished to know surely if they were 
now better men than they used to 
be. After three days he sent for 
them again, and said, “I fear God, 
and I want to do the right thing. If 
you are indeed true men you can 
prove it in this manner : I will send 
nine of you back to your aged father with food, and keep one of you in 
prison ; you must return again and bring that younger brother of whom 
you spoke, or else I will know surely that you are spies.” 

The brothers felt at once that this great trouble had come upon 
them because they had been so unkind and cruel to their young brother 
Joseph. They did not know this man was Joseph, and that he could 
understand their language, so they said to each other, “We are suffer- 
ing now because of our sin. Now we know how terrified Joseph felt 
when we sold him and when he pleaded with us, but we would not 
listen.” Reuben, the eldest brother and the one who had wished to 
save Joseph’s life, now spoke. “I told you then that you should not 
sin against the boy, and you would not hear me. Now liis blood is be- 
ing required at our hands.” 


FINDING THE MONET IN THE SACKS 


JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BROTHERS 79 

Joseph pretended not to know what they were saying, hut he heard 
it) all and his heart was touched. Now he knew they wiere sorry for 
their sin, and he turned his face away and wept for joy. Then he dried 
his tears and spoke to them again in the language of the Egyptians. He 
took Simeon, who was the second eldest, and hound him before their 
eyes, and put him hack into the( prison. The others he sent away to 
Canaan, after their sacks had been filled with com. He had commanded 
his servants to return their money in each sack with the corn. 

On the homeward journey the brothers were sad at heart. What 
would their dear old father say, they wondered. Joseph was lost to 
him, and now Simeon was a prisoner, and Benjamin’s presence was de- 
manded in Egypt or else Simeon would he killed! No wonder they 
Were sad. At the end of the first day they stopped to feed their asses, 
and one brother opened his sack and found his bag of money in it. More 
trouble seemed to be coming upon them; for they feared now that the 
stern ruler would believe they had stolen the money. 

At last they reached home, tired and discouraged. They told their 
father about the sorrows that had befallen them and explained why 
Simeon was left in Egypt. “We can not return again except we take 
Benjamin,” they said. 

“I can never let you take my youngest son,” Jacob replied, “for 
Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and now you will let some misfortune 
overtake Benjamin also.” 

Then the brothers emptied their sacks of food in the presence of 
their father, and found that each one’s mioney had been replaced in his 
sack. Things seemed to be growing worse for them instead of better, 
Sand they were very much afraid. 


STORY 23 

JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BROTHERS 

Gen. 43:1-45:24 

The famine continued to rage in Canaan; not a cloud appeared in 
the sky, and not a drop of dew sparkled on the parched grass. The 
waters of the brooks dried up, and the wells were becoming more shal- 
low every day. After a while the food that Jacob’s sons had brought 
from Egypt was nearly all eaten up. “You must go again,” said Ja- 
cob, 4 * and buy more corn. ’ ’ 

But Judah answered, “We can not go unless We take Benjamin; 


80 


BIBLEhSTORY BOOK 


for the ruler told us we surely should not get any more corn if we 
failed to bring him. ’ ’ 

• “Why did you tell him that you had a younger brother ? ’ ’ Jacob 
asked. 

Judah replied, “The man asked us whether we had yet another 
brother, and we only answered his questions. How could we tell that 
he would require us to bring him to Egypt?” 

Still Jacob shook his head and refused to let Benjamin go; and 
the days dragged on and the food-supply grew less and less. The 
brothers looked at each other sorrowfully and wondered what they 
should do. Although they were grown men, yet they did not dare 
leave their father on such an errand without his permission ; for among 
those people the father ruled his household as long as he lived. And 
they could not go without Benjamin. Finally Judah said, “If you do 
not send us soon, both we and our children shall die of hunger ; for, see, 
only a little food remains. I will certainly take care of Benjamin, and 
if any harm should befall him I will bear the blame forever.” And 
Reuben, the eldest, had brought two of his own boys to Jacob, saying, 
“You may kill my sons if I do not bring Benjamin back safely.” 

At last, in the face of hunger and starvation, poor old Jacob was 
persuaded to send Benjamin with his brothers. “If my children must 
all be taken away from me, then I must bear the loss of them, ’ ’ he said. 

Preparations began at once for this second journey. Jacob urged 
his sons to take for a present, to the ruler some of the best things that 
grew in Canaan, and they selected some rich spices and perfumes, wild 
honey, and nuts. Then they took back twice as much money as on the 
first journey; for their father said that perhaps their money had been 
restored in their sacks by mistake. 

When the brothers came into Joseph’s presence the second time, 
and he saw that Benjamin had come with them,, he sent them to his own 
house at once and gave orders to his servants to prepare a feast. ‘ ‘ The 
men from Canaan are going to dine with me,” he said to his steward, 
who was the ruler of his house. 

The brothers did not understand Joseph’s orders to his servants, 
and they were frightened because they were brought to his own house. 
“He thinks We stole the money,” they told each other, “and noW al- 
though we are innocent he will accuse us of this wrong-doing and put 
us all into prison with Simeon. What shall we do?” They decided 
to tell the steward about their troubles. 

“Ho not be afraid,” the steward said, when he heard their story, 
“because I had your money, and it must have been your father’s God 


J OSEIPHJ MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HI S BROTHER S 81 


who gave yon the treasure in your sacks.’ ’ Then he gave them food 
for their asses and water to wash their feet. Afterwards he brought 
Simeon out tot them and told them that they were all invited to eat 
dinner with his master. 

At noon J oseph came home to meet them. He spoke kindly to them 
and asked at once whether their father were still alive. How deeply 
interested he seemed to be in the dear old man they had left in Canaan ! 
Next he turned to Benjamin and asked, ‘Ms this the younger brother 
of whom you spoke !” When he knew that Benjamin Was indeed his 
own brother, he said, “The Lord be gracious to you, my son.” He 
longed to kiss Benjamin and embrace him at once, but he wished to 
learn more about his ten elder brothers before he should let them know 
that he was Joseph. So he hurried out of the room to hide his tears, 
and then washed his face lest they should see that he had been weeping. 

The brothers were beginning to feel more comfortable. They were 
glad to find Simeon well, and they hoped to be soon returning again to 
Canaan with food and with pleasant tidings for their anxious father. 
He would be glad to know the stern ruler had been kind to them this 
time. And he would be happy to see both Benjamin and Simeon re- 
turn safe. 

After the tables had been arranged, Joseph and his brothers en- 
tered the dining-hall. Other guests were present— possibly Egyptian 
officers. The brothers saw that three tables had been arranged— one 
where Joseph sat alone because he wtas the ruler, another where the 
Egyptians sat, and around the third table the brothers were assigned 
places according to their ages, beginning with Reuben. “How strange !” 
they thought, “for how can this man know which of us isj older than 
his brother f” Joseph then sent food to them! from his table, to each 
man a portion and to Benjamin five times as much as to the others. 
Perhaps he wished to see if they were as jealous of Benjamin as they 
had once been of their brother Joseph. 

The meal ended pleasantly, and the brothers thought again of 
returning to their home. ‘ ‘ Fill their sacks with corn as you did before, ’ ’ 
Joseph instructed the steward, “and put their money back into the 
sacks again. But in Benjamin’s sack put my silver cup( also.” And 
the steward did as he was bidden. 

On the following morning the brothers started for home. But they 
had not gone far when the steward came hurrying after them. J oseph 
had sent him to recover the silver cup. “Why have you rewarded my 
master evil for good!” he asked when he told them that Joseph's cup 
was missing from the house. 


82 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


4 ‘God forbid that we should be guilty of stealing the cup,” they 
answered, “for we are honest men. Did we not return the money that 
we found in our sacks? Why then should your master think us guilty 
of this offense?” 

So sure were they that none of them had done the wicked deed 
of which they were accused that they said, “Search us and see for 
yourself : if the cup is found, let that one die in whose sack it is dis- 
covered, and the others of us will become your servants.” 

The steward was unwilling to render such severe punishment. ‘ ‘ If 
I find the cup, ’ * said he, ‘ ‘ I will take him for my servant in whose sack 
it is found, and the others may go free.” 

Then the search* began. Every man lowered his sack to the ground 
and opened it for the steward’s examination. And one by one the men 
rejoiced when the missing cup was not found in their possession. The 
steward began the search with Reuben’s sack, and ended with Benja- 
min’s. And in Benjamjin’s sack he found the missing cup, where he 
had placed it. 

How astonished the brothers were at this discovery! What could 
they do now? Surely some one was trying to bring back the ill will 
of the ruler upon them. They could not part with Benjamin, and yet 
they had promised the steward he might take that one of them for 
a servant who should be guilty of such an offense. Tearing their clothes 
as an expression of grief, they replaced the sacks upon their asses and 
turned back to the capital city with Joseph’s steward and Benjamin. 

Joseph was waiting at his house for their coming. “What is this 
you have done?” he demanded, sternly, as they fell on their faces 
before him. 

“Alas, God is punishing us for our sins. We are all your serv- 
ants,” exclaimed Judah. 

“God forbid that I should keep all of you,” answered Joseph, more 
kindly now; “only he who took the missing cup will I punish, and the 
others may return home.” Joseph wished to see if the others were 
selfish and willing to let Benjamin suffer if they could escape. 

Then Judah, who had promised Jacob to bring Benjamin safely 
back to Canaan or else bear the blame forever, fell on his face at 
Joseph’s feet. , 

“Please do not be angry with me, but listen to my words,” he said, 
‘ ‘ for I know you are even as Pharaoh. When we came at the first you 
asked whether we had a father or a younger brother and we told you 
that we had. We told you about our father’s tender love for Benjamin 
after his favorite son had been lost. Then you demanded us to bring 



JOSEPH KISSING HIS YOUNG BROTHER. BENJAMIN 

and we answered that we could not come and see you except Benjamin 
be with us. Then after some days of delaying he sent us again, say- 
ing, ‘If trouble happen to Benjamin, I shall die of grief.’ Now, if 
we return without the lad our father will die, for he is old and feeble 
and his life is bound up in his love for Benjamin' Let him return, I 
beg of you, and let me remain in his stead, tor I promised our father 
that if ill should befall the lad I would bear the blamie forever.” 


J OSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BROTHERS 83 


Benjamin with us when we should return again to prove that we are 
not spies. We replied that our father would not be willing to let him 
come because he feared some terrible harm might befall him, too. 
Still you insisted that unless we bring him we should never see your 
face again. 

“When we returned home w^e told our father about your words, 
and he was grieved. He said he would not allow Benjamin to leave 
him. But when the food-supply grew low, he wished to send us again, 


84 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Judah’s earnest words touched Joseph’s heart deeply. How dif- 
ferent they sounded from 1 the words he spoke so long ago when he sug- 
gested to his brothers that they sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites! Now 
he was offering himself to become a lifetime slave in place of his younger 
brother; now he was pleading for the relief of his father’s anxiety. 
A changed Judah, indeed. And Joseph knew that Judah’s words were 
sincere; he believed his brothers were better men; and he longed to 
embrace them all. So he quickly commanded his Egyptian servants to 
leave the room, and then, turning to his brothers, he said in their lan- 
guage, “I am your brother Joseph; does my father yet live!” 

Surprize and fear overcame the brothers and they could not an- 
swer a word. Joseph saw they were afraid, and he wept aloud and 
called them to come nearer. “I am the same Joseph you sold into 
Egypt,” he told themi, “but do not be afraid, nor angry with your- 
selves, because it was God who sent me here before you to save your 
lives. This terrible famine will continue for five more years, and you 
must bring your families and all your possessions into Egypt, or else 
you may die. I will take care of you here; for God has made me a 
father even to Pharaoh and the ruler of all his people.” Then Joseph 
kissed Benjamin and embraced him fondly, and each of the brothers he 
kissed with the same forgiving tenderness. 

The Egyptian servants heard Joseph weeping, and they hurried 
to tell Pharaoh that Joseph’s brothers had come, and every one was 
glad, because every one loved Joseph. Pharaoh sent a message to 
Joseph, urging him to bring his father to Egypt at once. 

The homeward journey was begun the second time, and now the 
men were taking Egyptian wagons loaded with good things to eat. 
Joseph sent as ai present to his father twenty asses loaded with food 
and other stuff, and to each of his brothers he gave Egyptian clothing. 
To Benjamin he gave five times as much as he gave to the other ten, 
and also three hundred pieces of silver. 


STORY 24 

JOSEPH’S FATHER AND BROTHERS COME TO LIVE IN EGYPT 

Gen. 45:25-50:26 

The days of anxious waiting seemed long to Jacob as he watched 
for the home-coming of his sons from Egypt. At last a messenger came 
hurrying to his tent with the joyful tidings, “They have come, all of 


JOSEPH’S FATHER AND BROTHERS COME TO EGYPT 85 

f'kr- 

them, and have brought treasures from Egypt— wagon-loads of good 
things.” 

“What can this mean!” Jacob wondered as he went out to see 
for himself. 

Sure enough, there were wagons loaded with provisions, and a 
herd of asses well loaded besides. But Jacob did not care so much 
about those things, for his joy Was greatest when he saw Benjamin 
and Simeon among the stalwart men who came to give him an affection- 
ate greeting. They told him at once of the good fortune that overtook 
them in Egypt. “We found Joseph!” they exclaimed excitedly, “and 
he is alive and well. More than that, he is the ruler of all Egypt, and 
he has sent us to bring you and our wives and sons and daughters to 
live in Egypt.” 

At first Jacob could not believe their words, for it seemed impos- 
sible that the son whom he had mourned as dead for more than twenty 
years should be alive ini a strange land. But when he saw the wagons 
Joseph had sent and the twenty asses loaded with provisions as a 
special present to him, he said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is yet 
alive, and I will go and see him before I die.” 

The third journey to Egypt was a happy one. Jacob and his sons’ 
wives and their little children rode in the wagons Joseph had sent, 
while the grown men drove the herds of cattle and sheep and goats and 
asses. One night they made camp at Beersheba, where Abraham and 
Isaac had lived long before this time. Here Jacob offered sacrifices to 
God as his father and grandfather had done. And God spoke to him 
once more in a night vision. “Do not be afraid to go to Egypt,” God 
told him, “for I will go with you and will increase your family until 
they become a great nation. Then I .will bring them again into the 
land which I promised to your grandfather Abraham and to your father 
Isaac. And you shall indeed see Joseph, and he will place his hand 
upon your eyes.” 

After this time Jacob was called Israel, the name which God gave 
him when he wrestled all night with the angel. And his children wlere 
called Israelites. But sometimes they were called Hebrews, a word 
which means, “From beyond the river,” and it referred back to the 
long-ago time when their forefather Abraham had obeyed God’s voice 
and had crossed the River Euphrates to journey to Canaan. When 
the Israelites came into Egypt they numbered sixty-seven people, and 
when Joseph and his two sons were counted among them they num- 
bered seventy. 

At the border-land of Egypt the Israelites camped again, and 


86 


BIBLE-STOBY BOOK 













JOSEPH’S FATHER AND BROTHERS COME TO EGYPT 87 


waited until Judah should go to Joseph to tell of their coming. Joseph 
sent a guide to lead them into the land of Goshen, and then he prepared 
his royal chariot and rode into Goshen to* meet his father and his 
relatives. 

What a happy meeting when father and son were clasped in each 
others’ arms again! Both wept for joy and spoke many tender words 
to each other. Then Joseph brought five of his brothers and his aged 
father to see Pharaoh, the king. 

Pharaoh was glad to see them. When he learned that they were 
shepherds, he told them they might live in the land of Goshen. Goshen 
lay between Egypt and the desert, and was in ordinary times a very 
fertile country because its soil was well watered by the broad River 
Nile. Joseph provided food for his relatives and for their herds dur- 
ing the remaining years of the famine. 

After a while the Egyptian people spent all their money for food. 
Then they came to Joseph for more corn, and he said, “I will give you 
corn if you will sell your cattle to Pharaoh.” This they did. Then 
when their cattle were sold and their money was spent their food-supply 
again grew low. “Wdiat must we do now??” they asked Joseph, and 
he told them to sell their fields and their pastures to the king. And 
so after a while Pharaoh owned all the land in Egypt except the land 
which belonged to the priests. By and by the people became hungry 
again, and they had nothing left to sell except themselves. So they 
came to Joseph and said, “We would rather sell ourselves to become 
servants of Pharaoh than die of hunger.” And they became servants 
of the king. 

When the Severn years of awful famine had passed by, Joseph sent 
the Egyptian farmers back to the fields with seed to plant again. He 
told them to plant their crops and care for them just as they had done 
before. Then when the harvest-time should come they should bring 
one fifth of the yield of their fields to Pharaoh, and four fifths they 
could keep for food and for seed for the coming year. “All the 
land belongs to Pharaoh, ’ ’ he said, ‘ 4 and hereafter one fifth of all that 
grows on the land shall be kept for his portion. ’ ’ And these words of 
Joseph’s became a law throughout all Egypt. 

After the famine ended, Joseph’s people continued to live in 
Goshen. Israel was one hundred and thirty years old when he left 
Canaan, and he lived seventeen years in Goshen. Before he died he 
called his sons and requested them to take his body to Canaan and 
bury it in the cave of Machpelah, where Abraham and Isaac were buried. 
Then he gave each of his sons a parting blessing. 


88 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Joseph brought his two children, Manasseh and Ephraim, to see 
their aged grandfather and to receive his blessing also. And Israel 
said, ‘ ‘ Surely God has been good to me, for I thought I should never 
see your face again and now I am permitted to see both you and your 
children. ’ ’ He then placed his trembling, Wrinkled hands upon the 
boys’ heads to bless them. Joseph saw he had placed his right hand 
upon the head of Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand upon the 
head of Manasseh. “Not so, my father,” he said gently, trying to 
lift his father’s hands and change them so that the right hand should 
rest upon Manasseh ’s head. But Israel would not allow the change. 
“I know what I am doing,” he answered, ‘ ‘ although I am feeble and 
my eyes are dim ; your younger son shall become greater than the elder, 
and to him the greater blessing belongs. ’ ’ Israel also gave each of the 
boys a portion among the inheritance of his own children. 

After Israel died, Joseph commanded the Egyptian physicians to 
embalm his father ’s body for burial. This required forty days ’ time. 
In all, the people spent seventy days mourning the death of this aged 
man. Then Joseph asked permission of Pharaoh to go with his brothers 
to place Israel’s body in the burial-cave in Canaan. 

When they returned again to Goshen, the brothers thought, ‘ ‘ Per- 
haps Joseph has been kind to us only for our father’s sake, and now 
he may treat us cruelly because we sinned against him so long ago.” 
So they sent a messenger to Joseph, saying, “Your father before he 
died asked that you forgive the wrong-doing of your brothers, and now 
we beg that you do forgive us, for we are servants of the God of your 
father. ’ ’ 

Joseph wept when he heard this message. He knew his brothers 
feared that he might harm them, now that their father had died. So 
he called them to him and said, “Do not be afraid of me. Am I in 
the place of God that I should attempt to punish youi because of your 
sin? No; I will care for you and for your children as long as I live.” 
H'is kind Words comforted their hearts, and they believed that he had 
indeed freely forgiven them. 

As the years passed by, Joseph’s relatives increased in number 
until they became a strong nation. And Joseph cared for them as long 
as he lived. When he reached the age of one hundred and ten years 
he knew his time had come to die. He) called the old men of Israel to 
his bedside and said, “I am going to die. But God will watch over 
you, and by and by he will lead you back to the land of your fathers. 
Do not bury me here in Egypt, but place my body in a coffin and take 
it back with you when you return to Canaan.” And the men of Israel 


THE STORY OF JOB 


89 


wept as they promised to show this kindness to the one who had been 
so good to them. Afterwards whenever they looked at Joseph's coffin 
they remembered his Words, and they knew they should not always 
live in Egypt. 


STORY 25 

THE STORY OF JOB 

Job 1:1-42:17 

Once on a time— how very long ago wle do not know— there lived 
a good man named Job. His home was in the country called Uz, which 
lay far east from Egypt and towlard the place where the Harden of 
Eden had. once been. 

Now Job was a very rich man. His camels and asses and his cat- 
tle and sheep were numbered by thousands. His servants, too, were 
very many. And J ob had seven sons and three daughters. 

Not only was Job good, and rich, he was also godly— he thought 
often about God and tried always to do those things which he believed 
would please God. Although many of his neighbors worshiped the 
sun and the moon, Job believed that the God who had made these great 
lights was the only true object of worship. He built altars of earth or 
of stone as Noah had done many long years before, and placed oxen 
and sheep upon those altars and gave them to God. Then he prayed 
and asked God to forgive his sins and to bless him. 

And Job was the greatest man in all that country. Everybody 
knew about him and everybody honored him. When he passed by, even 
the children stopped their play to notice him. The poor people loved 
him because he helped them when they were in trouble. 

After Job's sons grew up to manhood and had homes of their own, 
often they made great feasts. They always invited their brothers and 
sisters to these feasts. And while they ate and drank together, Job 
thought about them and wondered whether they were behaving rightly. 
He wanted them to love God as he did. And he offered sacrifices to 
God for their sins, and prayed for their forgiveness just as he prayed 
for himself. 

And God took much notice of Job. He blessed him with health 
and with happiness. He gave him many friends and great honors. He 
loved him because he knew that J ob was a true man. 

But one day an enemy spoke against J ob. This enemy was Satan. 
He said, “Job serves God just because God blesses him. If troubles 


90 


BIBLE-STOBY BOOK 



THE SERVANTS TELLING JOB OF HIS TROUBLES 

would not believe liis words because he knew Job better. 

But Satan wanted to trouble Job. So he sent bad men from other 
countries to steal awiay his oxen and sheep and camels and asses. They 
even killed his servants. And then a great storm came and tore down 
the house where Job’s sons and daughters were feasting, and killed 
them every one. 

When Job heard about these troubles he tore his clothes as a sign 
of grief and fell down upon his face. But he did not turn away from 
God. Instead, he blessed God just as he had always done before. 

Then Satan planned to send greater trouble upon Job. He thought, 
“I will make life so miserable for Job that he will blame God for his 


should come — if all his riches and all his blessings should be taken 
from him— then Job would turn away from God.” 

This was not true. Satan is called “the father of lies” because he 
tells wrong things and tries to make others believe his words. God 


THE STORY OF, JOB 


91 


suffering. Then he will want to die.” In those days, many people 
believed their troubles were always sent from God to punish them for 
their sins. Because Satan thought Job, too, would believe this, he 
caused great, ugly sores to break out all over Job’s body. These sores 
were very painful. Everybody looked upon Job with horror and even 
his wife wished that he might die. Poor Job! 

Then three rich men whoi for a long time had been friends of Job 
came to see him. They had heard about his troubles and they wanted 
to comfort him. But wlhen they came near, at first they did not know 
him. His face looked so changed by the ugly sores that they could 
hardly believe he was Job. Then finally they sat down on the ground 
near him. But they would not speak to him for several days. They 
saw how greatly he was suffering and they believed God was surely 
punishing him for some awful sins. And when they spoke to him they 
did not speak comforting words. They told Job that he was covering 
his sins, that he was trying to hide his wrong-doing from God. All 
these words only added to Job’s sufferings and made him very unhappy 
indeed. 

Then God spoke to Job out of a whirlwind, and Job bowed down 
low on the ground and Worshiped. He did not think himself great nor 
wise nor good in the sight of God. And God told Job that he was 
pleased with him, but that he was not pleased with his three friends. 
He told those men to bring offerings for their sins and tof ask Job to 
pray for them. 

After this God caused the ugly sores to become dry, and soon Job’s 
body was well again. Then God sent many blessings to Job. Every 
year he grew richer, untiil after a while he had twice as many riches 
as he had before he was troubled by Satan. And God gave him seven 
sons and three daughters again. These daughters were the most beau- 
tiful women in all that country. And so health and happiness and riches 
and honor came again to Job— this man who would not let any kind of 
trouble or sorrow turn him away from God. And Job lived to be a very, 
very old man. 


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HOW MOSES CAME TO LIME IN THE KING’S PALACE 93 


PART SECOND 

STORIES ABOUT MOSES 

Exodus; Leviticus ; Numbers ; Deuteronomy 

STORY 1 

HOW THE CHILD MOSES CAME TO LIVE IN THE 
KING’S PALACE 

Exod. 1:1—2:10 

Our stories about the Bible patriarchs, such as were Abraham, 
Isaac, and Jacob, are now< ended, and we are beginning the good stories 
about one of the most interesting persons in the Old Testament. This 
person is Moses. , 

You remember that Jacob, the last of the patriarchs, was called 
Israel, and that his children were called Israelites. These Israelites 
lived in the land of Goshen for a long time after their fathers who 
brought them from Canaan had died. And they grew in numbers until 
they became a strong nation. 

During this time Pharaoh, the king who had been kind to Joseph 
and to his kinsmen, died too, and another ruler called Pharaoh took 
his place upon the Egyptian throne. This new Pharaoh did not look 
kindly upon the fast-growing Israelitish nation. He thought, ‘ 4 Soon 
these people will number more than my own Egyptian people, and 
they may join themselves to our enemies who come to fight against us. 
Then they will go away from our country and we can no longer have 
them for our servants. I can not let them go away from Goshen ; I must 
keep them for slaves / 9 

Pharaoh called his people together and told them of his fears 
concerning the Israelites. “We must do something,” he said, “to hin- 
der them from becoming stronger and more powerful than we are. ’ ’ 
Finally he and his officers decided to make the Israelites work harder 
than they had ever worked before. Pharaoh wished to have new* cities 
built, where he could store his; rich treasures, and he commanded the 
Israelites to build those cities. Then the officers placed taskmasters 
over the workmen to compel them to work very hard and very fast. 
But the harder they worked the stronger they grew, and Pharaoh saw 
that his plan was not a success. “This will never do,” he reasoned, 


94 


BIBLEl-STORY BOOK 



“for the Israelites are growing stronger all the while I afflict themi. I 
must make life even more miserable for them.” And he did. 

The hard-working Israelites were horror-stricken when one morn- 
ing this message came to them from the king’s house: “Every baby 


boy that is born among your people must be thrown into the River 
Nile.” Because this was the king’s command it had to be obeyed. 

After this cruel command had been put into practise, one day the 
baby Moses was born. Niow, his mother feared God, and she believed 
it was very wicked to throw a child into the river. Like all true moth- 
ers, she loved her baby ; and for three months she hid him. When she 
could hide him no longer she thought of a wise plan, and then she 
worked carefully to carry it out. First she gathered some bulrushes 
—plants which grew along the River’s bank— then she wove a little 
ark-like basket, and plastered it well on the inside with lime and pitch 
so that no water could leak through. When this was finished, she made 


THE ISRAELITES AS SLAVES IN EGYPT 



tmnm im in: i::iiiiii iiin i.'M.iimumiminii mniiiii 





HOW MOSES GAME TO LIVE IN THE KING’S PALACE 95 

a soft bed in the ark and placed her baby in it. Now 1 the very hardest 
part remained to be done ; but she was a, brave woman and she believed 
God would help her save the baby’s life. So she carried the basket to 
the river, and there among the tall reeds which grew near the water ’s 
edge she placed her precious burden, and went away. Her little daugh- 
ter Miriam, who had come along, lingered near the bank to play and to 
watch what should happen to the tiny ark. She had not long to* wait, 
for soon a company of richly-dressed women came to the river’s bank. 
One of them was the Egyptian princess, Pharaoh’s daughter. They 
had come to bathe in the river. 

When the princess saw the strange-looking ark floating among the 
reeds, she sent her maid to bring it ashore. “What can be inside this 
queer basket!” the women wondered as they gathered round to see it 
opened. And how surprized they were When a sweet-faced Israelitish 
baby looked up at them and cried. 

The princess knew about the cruel command her father had given, 
and she said at once, “This is one of the Israelites’ children.” She 
was more kind-hearted than her wicked father, and she wished to spare 
this baby’s life. - So she decided to take him for her own son. Just 
then a little Israelite girl came running along the bank. She heard the 
princess say about the little baby, “I shall keep him for my own son.” 
This little girl was Miriam, and her heart was glad because she knew 
her baby brother could live. Bravely she stepped up to the princess 
and said, “Shall I go and call an Israelite woman to nurse this baby 
for you!” Of course there would need to be a nurse, and the princess 
was quite willing to hire an Israelite woman, so Miriam hurried home 
and quickly brought her own mother. And they carried the baby back 
once more to their own home, where they should no longer need to fear 
that its cries might attract the attention of their enemies, for every one 
learned that this baby had been adopted by the King’s daughter. 

When the baby grew old enough to leave his mother, he was taken 
to Pharaoh’s palace and given to the Princess. She called his name 
Moses, which means “drawn out,” because she had drawn him out 
of the water. And she placed him in the best schools of Egypt, that 
he might learn all the wisdom of her own people and be ready some 
day to occupy the Egyptian throne. 


96 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 2 

WHY MOSES LIVED IN THE WILDERNESS 

Exod. 2 : 11-25 

When the boy Moses grew to manhood he did not forget his own 
people— the Israelites. Sometimes he left the beautiful palace and 
its gardens, where he lived among the princes of Egypt, and went out 
to the fields and cities where his people wlere toiling. His heart felt 
sad when he saw the cruel taskmasters oppress his people. He believed 
that God had spared his life when a baby in order that he might some 
day help his own people. How he longed for that time to come ! He 
even despised the riches of Egypt when he saw the hardships and pov- 
erty of the Israelites. He despised the idolatry of Egypt when he saw 
the princes and rulers bow down to worship oxen, and cats, and snakes. 

One day Moses, when he had left the king’s palace to visit the 
Israelites, acted very unwisely. He saw a taskmaster beating an Israel- 
ite, and this made him very angry. He looked about quickly to see 
that no one was watching, and then he killed the taskmaster and buried 
him in the sand. He thought the Israelite would understand that he 
wtas trying to help him. The next day he saw two Israelites quarreling 
between themselves and beginning to fight. ‘ ‘ Why are you so unkind 
to each other!” he asked, and the one who had done the wrong replied 
crossly, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us! Do you intend 
to kill me as you killed the Egyptian taskmaster yesterday!” 

When Moses heard these words lie understood at once that his 
people did not expect him to help them. They did not know how much 
he loved them and how greatly he desired to relieve their burdens. 
They were not keeping secret his act of the day before, and soon Pha- 
raoh would hear of the taskmaster’s death. Then Pharaoh would be 
angry with Moses and would seek to kill himi. Knowing this, Moses 
hurried away from his people with a sad heart, and sought a hiding- 
place in the wilderness. 

After a long, tiresome journey across the desert, Moses one day 
came to a well. Here he sat down to resin. Presently seven young 
women came to the well to draw" water. They were sisters, and they 
kept their father’s flocks. While they were drawing water for the sheep 
some wicked shepherds came by and tried to drive them away. Many 
times before those wicked shepherds had annoyed the young women. 
Buti this time Moses defended the women and compelled the wicked 
shepherds to go away. 


WHY MOSIES LIVED IN THE WILDERNESS 


97 


When the sisters returned home with the flocks, their father, Jethro, 
who was a priest of Midian, asked, “How is it that yon have come 
home so early today?” “We met a stranger at the well,” they replied, 
“who helped ns when the wicked mien tried tio drive our sheep away.” 
Jethro then sent for Moses and invited him to live among his people, 
and to care for his flocks. Later he gave one of his daughters to be- 
come Moses ’ wife, and fori many years Moses worked as a shepherd 
in the land of Midian. Because he was a stranger among the people of 
Midian, Moses named his eldest son Ger shorn, which means, “A 
stranger here.” 

During this time a change had taken place in Egypt. The Pharaoh 
whom Moses feared had died, and a new Pharaoh had come to the 
Egyptian throne. This ruler was just as cruel as the one whose place 
he took. Daily he oppressed the Israelites and added miseries to their 
unhappy lives. As they worked and toiled their hearts grew very sad. 
They groaned beneath their heavy burdens, and they wept and prayed 
for relief. And God heard their prayers. 

You remember that long before this time God promised to give the 
land of Canaan to! the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You 
remember, too, that Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, and that 
his children and their children after them were called Israelites. And 
so it was these Israelites to whom God had promised the land of Canaan. 
Now when God heard their cries of distress in E'gypti he remembered 
his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. And he planned to deliver 
them from Pharaoh’s cruel bondage and bring them to their own land. 

Although forty years had passed since Moses fled out of Egypt, 
still one of the Israelites remembered that Moses had believed God 
would some day use him to help his people. This Israelite was Moses’ 
brother, Aaron. Now Aaron, too, had believed that God spared the 
life of Moses when a baby in order to use him some day as a deliverer 
for his oppressed kinsmen. But Moses was gone far away now, and 
Aaron thought he might have forgotten about the suffering of his 
people. 

One day Aaron decided to go out into the great wilderness to 
search for his lost brother. “If I find him,” he thought), “I shall tell 
him that the king whom he knew and feared is dead, and that the new 
Pharaoh has been equally as cruel to our people as the one whose place 
he took. When Moses hears about the suffering of our people, surely 
he will try to help us.” But Aaron did not realize what a changed 
Moses he should find, 


98 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 3 

HOW GOD SPOKE TO MOSES FROM A BURNING BUSH 

Exodus 3, 4 

When Aaron startled out froini Goshen to search in the wilderness 
for his lost brother, Moses was leading his flock to a green pasture near 
the foot of Mount Horeb. How different Moses looked now! from the 
young man who had once lived in Pharaoh’s palace! No longer he 
wore the princely robes of Eigypt. Now his dress was the coarse man- 
tle of a shepherd, and he carried a long shepherd’s staff, or rod, in his 
hand. Day after day and year after year he had cared for his father- 
in-law’s sheep, leading them to fresh pasture-lands and to abundant 
water-supplies. The sun and the wind had tanned his face and hands, 
while the years had Whitened his flowing hair. 

Although when a young man Moses had learned in all the wisdom 
of the Egyptians until he became one of the greatest persons the world 
Has ever known, yet he did not think himself great, nor wise. He was 
contented to fill the humble place of a shepherd. He was glad to live 
in the great wilderness, far aWay from the large cities and beautiful 
grounds of Pharaoh’s palace. Here he could see all around him the 
wonderful things that God had made. He learned much about that 
country— its pasture-lands and watering-places. He often studied the 

trees and bushes and flowers. Be- 
cause he was interested in these 
things, God spoke to him one day 
from a bush. 

The sheep were feeding on the 
rich pasture and Moses was looking 
about at the beauties and wonders 
of nature when presently he saw a 
flame of fire burst forth from a bush 
on the mountain-side. He watched, 
expecting to see the bush destroyed 
by the fire ; buti the flame kept burn- 
moses and the fire in the bush ing, and no harm came to the bush. 

“What a strange sight!” thought 
Moses; “I must take a closer look at this unusual bush, which fire can 
not* harm.” As he started forward, he heard a voice speak to him 
from the flame. “Moses! Moses!” the voice called; and Moses re- 
plied, “Here am I.” 




HOW GOD SPOKE TO MOSES FROM A BURNING BUSH 99 


“Do not come near the bush, ” the voice said. “Put off the shoes 
from your feet, for you are standing on holy ground. ’ ’ 

Moses understood at once that God was speaking to him; for the 
people in those lands always remove their shoes when they approach 
a sacred place, and perhaps Moses had done likewise when he stood 
before an altar to worship God. So he stooped down quickly to loosen 
and remove his sandals. Then he hid his face, for he was afraid to 
look upon the flame again. 

“I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob,” the voice 
began once mlore, “and I have seen the afflictions of my people, the 
Israelites, in Egypt. I have heard their cries, and I know their sor- 
rows. Now I am come to deliver them from the Egyptians and to 
bring them into the land that I promised to their fathers.” 

No doubt) Moses was glad to hear this good news, for he still loved 
his own people. ' He had thought of them many times as he led his 
flock to and fro across the desert plains. How like a flock were they, 
in the hands of a cruel shepherd ! 

But the voice continued to speak: “Come now, and I will send 
you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people out of Egypt. ’ ’ 

Although when a young man Moses had expected some day tio res- 
cue his people from Pharaoh’s, cruel oppression, now he did not feel 
himself great enough to undertake such a task. ‘ ‘ Who am I, ’ ’ he asked 
the Lord, “that I should bring my people out of Egypt? This is too 
great a work for me to do.” 

‘ ‘ I will surely go with you and help do the great work , 9 9 answered 
the voice from the flame. “And when you bring the Israelites to this 
mountain, where they shall serve me, then you shall know that cer- 
tainly I have been with you.” 

Moses feared that his people would not believe God had sent him 
to be their deliverer. He said, “When I go to the Israelites and tell 
them you have sent me, it may be they will have forgotten you. If they 
ask, ‘Who is this God?’ what shall I say?” 

And God said, “Tell them that my name is I AM, the One who is 
always living. And tell them that I AM has sent you to help them. Do 
not be afraid, for they will believe you. Then call together the elders 
of your families, who are the leaders of your people, and go with 
them to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Our God, the God of the Hebrews, 
the Israelites, has met us, and now let us go three days’ journey into 
the wilderness to worship him.’ At first the king will refuse to let 
you go ; buti after I have shown my power in Egypt he will send you 
out of the land.” 


100 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Still Moses Was fearful that his people would not believe God had 
sent him except he could show them some sign, for a proof. So he 
asked God to give him such a. sign, and God said to him, “What is that 
in your hand?” 

“It is a rod,” answered Moses. 

God told him to throw the rod on the ground, and Moses obeyed. 
Instantly the rod was turned into a snake, and when Moses saw it he 
was afraid, and ran from it. 

But God said, “Do not be afraid; but take hold of its tail.” 

Moses obeyed again, and the snake became once more a rod in 
his hand. 

Then God told Moses to put his hand into his bosom,, under his 
mantle, and take it out again. When Moses did so his hand was changed 
until it became like the hand of a leper, White as snow and covered 
with a scaly crust. Moses was frightened, because leprosy is a dread- 
ful disease. But God said, “Put your hand into your bosom once 
more,” and when Moses obeyed his hand became like the! other, with 
a healthy skin. God intended that Moses could use this sign for a sec- 
ond proof to his people and to the Egyptians that God had sent him. 
God further told Mioses that if they should refuse to believe both these 
signs he was to take Water from! the river and pour it upon the ground 
before them. This water God would cause to turn into blood, and this 
would be the third sign. 

Moses still felt unwilling to go. He told God that he could not 
speak well, and asked God to choose some one else for the work. But 
God had chosen Moses for the work, and he said to Moses, “Am I not 
the Lord, who made man’s mouth? Go, and I will teach you what 
to say.” 

When Moses continued to ask that some one else should go in his 
stead, God said, “I will sendj your brother, Aaron, With you, and he 
will speak the words you tell him to speak. Eyen now he is coming intio 
the wilderness to meet you.” 

At last Moses was ready to obey God. He led his flock back to 
Jethro, his father-in-law, and said, “Let me return to my people in 
Egypt, and see if they are yet alive. ’ ’ And Jethro said, ‘ ‘ Go in peace. ’ ’ 

God spoke again tio Moses in the land of Midian, and told him that 
those who had sought his life in Egypt were now dead. Then Moses 
took his wife and sons and started toward the land of Goshen, carry- 
ing in his hand the rod through which God had performed a miracle. 
On his way he met Aaron, and together the! two brothers returned to 
Egypt. 


MOSES AND AARON TALK WITH A STUBBORN KINO 101 


Moses told Aaron all the words God had spoken to him and the 
signs God had given. Then they called the elders of Israel and told 
them that God had sent Moses to be their deliverer. When the people 
heard the words of the Lord and saw the signs God had given, they 
believed and were glad. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped 
God because he had heard their prayers. 


STORY 4 

MOSES AND AARON TALK WITH A STUBBORN KING 

Exod. 5 :1—7:24 

One day a messenger came to Pharaoh saying, “Two men, who 
are Israelites, stand outside wishing to speak with you.” 

“Bring them in,” said the King; and the messenger soon returned 
with Moses and Aaron. 

Moses had not forgotten how to behave himself in the king’s house 
even though he had spent long years in the wilderness among common 
people. He and Aaron spoke to Pkaraoli and told him) that the Lord 
God of the Israelites had said, ‘ ‘ Let my people go, that they may wor- 
ship me in the wilderness.” 

But Pharaoh answered, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his 
voice?” Because he was ruler of the great land of Egypt, Pharaoh was 
too proud to believe there was a higher Power, who could give orders 
for him to obey. “I do not know the Lord,” he said, “and I shall not 
let Israel go out of my country to worship him.” 

Moses and Aaron then told Pharaoh that the God of the Hebrews 
had met with them, and that unless his people were given freedom to 
go on a three days’ journey into the wilderness to serve him there with 
sacrifices, he would send terrible diseases upon them and kill them. 

These words did not move Pharaoh’s hard heart in the least. 
He only frowned, and replied crossly, “Why are you trying to take 
the people away from their work? I know they are idle, or they would 
not be asking to go away to sacrifice to their God. Return now], both 
of you, to your tasks, and let the Israelites alone.” And with these 
words he sent Moses and Aaron outi of his court. 

On that same day Pharaoh called the taskmasters and commanded 
that they should make the Israelites work harder than they had ever 
worked before. At this time they were making bricks and building 
houses for the rulers of Egypt. In mixing the clay for the bricks they 


102 


BIBLfE-STORY BOOK 



were using straw, chopped up fine, to hold the clay together. Every 
day the Egyptians brought straw for their work. Now Pharaoh com- 
manded that no straw should be brought to them. ‘ ‘ Send them outi into 
the fields to gather straw for themselves, ’ ’ said he, ‘ 1 and see that they 
make just as many bricks as on other days when straw was brought to 
them. ’ ’ 

Now, instead of getting freedom from Pharaoh’s cruel bondage, 
the Israelites were having greater trouble than ever. Of course they 
could not gather straw from the fields and still make as many bricks 


AARON’S ROD SWALLOWING THE RODS OF THE MAGICIANS 

as before ; and when their work fell short they were beaten by the task- 
masters. At once they blamed Moses and Aaron for their trouble. ‘ 4 You 
promised to bring us out of Egypt, and you are only bringing more 
sorrow upon us, ’ ’ they said. 

Moses loved his people and he pitied them. He cried to the Lord, 
and said, “Why is it that you sent me to Pharaoh 1 He will not let the 
people go, and he is making life more miserable for them.” 

God spoke comforting words to Moses and sent him to encourage 


MOSES AND AARON TALK WITH A STUBBORN KING 103 


the Israelites; but they were in such deep sorrow that they would not 
listen to Moses. Then God said, “Go in and speak to Pharaoh again, 
and show him the signs I have given you.” But Moses answered, 
“How can I go when the Israelites no longer believe you have sent 
me? Neither will Pharaoh hear my words.” 

Moses was ready to give up because Pharaoh would not let the 
people go at once. He did not understand how God was planning to 
work mighty signs and wonders in Egypt until all the Egyptians should 
fear Israel ’s God., Then the Lord told him to return again and again 
to Pharaoh and perform great miracles before him. i 6 1 have made you 
as a god to Pharaoh, ’ ’ the Lord said, 4 ‘ and Aaron shall be your prophet. 
Because of this Pharaoh will hear your wlords, even though he refuses 
to obey me.” 

After this Moses took Aaron and went the second time to talk 
with Pharaoh. And Pharaoh asked them to show him a sign, or mir- 
acle, that he might know the God of the Hebrews had surely sent them. 

Now Aaron had in. his hand the rod that Moses brought from the 
wilderness. Moses told him to cast this rod dowh before Pharaoh and 
before his servants. Aaron did so, and the rod became a snake. Pha- 
raoh knew this was a miracle. But he had in his court some wise men 
called sorcerers, or magicians, and they also claimed tio work miracles. 
Pharaoh sent for them, and when they came they too threw their rods 
before him. And their rods! became snakes. But Aaron’s rod swal- 
lowed up their rods and afterwards became a harmless cane in Aaron’s 
hand again. 

Even when Pharaoh knew that his magicians could not work so 
great a miracle as could Moses and Aaron, still he would not listen to 
them nor believe their sign, and they went away the second time from 
his presence. 

On the next morning God sent Moses and Aaron to speak to Pha- 
raoh again. This time they met him on the bank of the River Nile. 
Perhaps the king was surprized to see these aged men approach him. 
Perhaps he felt angry because they were disturbing him so often. But 
Moses and Aaron were not afraid. They knew! God had sent them and 
they spoke boldly to the king. “Because you refuse to let the Israel- 
ites go,” they began, “the Lord our God has sent us to you once more. 
Now he has commanded us tio show you another sign.” Then Moses 
spoke to Aaron, and he waved his rod over the waters of the great 
river. At that very moment the water became blood. Then all the 
fishes died, and soon a dreadful odor filled the air. Aaron stretched 
his rod toward the waters of the rivers and streams and lakes and ponds, 


104 BIBLE-STORY BOOK 



MODERN PICTURE OF THE RIVER THAT BECAME BLOOD 





PHARAOH SEES HOD’S SIGNS AND MIRACLES 


105 


and everywhere throughout! the land of Egypt the water became blood. 

Pharaoh’s magicians brought to him water in a vessel and changed 
it into blood. Then the king turned away and went back to his palace. 
But the Egyptian people grew alarmed, because they had no water to 
drink. Nowhere in all the land could they find a drop of water. 


STORY 5 

PHARAOH SEES GOD’S MIGHTY SIGNS AND MIRACLES 

Exod. 7:25-10:29 

A full week passed by before God lifted the terrible plague of 
blood from the waters of Egypt. Then he sent Moses and Aaron to 
tell Pharaoh that, another terrible plague wlas coming. This time when 
Aaron, at God’s command, stretched his rod over the rivers and lakes 
and ponds, frogs camie hopping up out of the water in great numbers 
and covered all the land. They went into the people’s houses, and 
even into Pharaoh’s palace, and hopped onto the beds and into the 
cooking-vessels. The magicians tried, and they, too, brought frogs 
up out of the water. 

Pharaoh was greatly troubled. He had been too stubborn to let ' 
any one know how much the plague of blood had annoyed! him. But 
now the frogs worried him very much. When he could endure them no . 
longer he called for Moses and Aaron and begged them to ask God to 
take the frogs away. “I will let your people go to sacrifice to the 
Lord,” he promised; and Moses asked, “When do you want God to 
destroy the frogs out of your houses?” Pharaoh answered, “To- 
morrow.” 

Moses prayed, and on the next day frogs died everywhere, except 
in the river. The Egyptians gathered them out of the houses and from 
the fields and piled them up in great heaps. 

But when the frogs were gone Pharaoh did not keep his promise. 
He grew stubborn again, and refused to let the people go. Then God 
sent another plague. This time Aaron struck his rod upon the dust 
of the ground, and the dust became lice and fleas. The magicians tried, 
but they could not perform this miracle. They told Pharaoh that God’s 
power was greater than theirs. Still Pharaoh wlould not listen. How 
hard his heart was growing! 

Then God sent Moses and Aaron to the king again as he walked 


106 


BIBLE-STORY book 


along the river’s bank early one morning. “Because you will not 
let Israel go , 9 9 they told him, 4 4 tomorrow God will send another plague 
upon your land. Great swarms of flies will fill your palace and the 
houses of your servants. Everywhere— indoors and out-of-doors, the 
flies will trouble you. But no flies will enter the houses of the Israelites 
in Goshen.” 

When the swarms of flies came upon the Egyptians, Pharaoh called 
for Moses and Aaron again. “Tell your people to sacrifice to their 
God in Goshen,” he said. 

But Moses replied, 4 ‘ They must go away out of the land, for the 
Egyptians would stone them if they should see their sacrifices.” The 
Egyptians worshiped oxen, and the Israelites killed oxen and sacri- 
ficed them on the altars that they built to worship God. The Egyptians 
would be very angry if they should see the Israelites kill oxen to sacri- 
fice, because they believed oxen wfere sacred, or holy animals. 

When Moses refused Pharaoh’s offer to let the Israelites worship 
in Goshen, the King said, 4 4 1 will leti them go to the wilderness, only do 
not take them very far away.” 

Moses answered, 4 4 We must go three days’ journey; and you must 
not break your promise to God, for he is a terrible God when once he is 
angry and he will surely punish you for your wickedness.” 

But just as soon as God removed the plague of flies in answer to 
Moses’ prayer, Pharaoh grew stubborn again and refused to leti the 
Israelites go. 

The next great plague that God sent upon the land of Egypt af- 
fected the cattle, and horses, and camels, and oxen, and sheep. Many 
of the cattle in Egypt died of this great plague, and Pharaoh became 
alarmed. But when he sent a messenger down to Goshen he learned 
that the Israelites’ cattle were all alive and well. Even after this 
Pharaoh remained stubborn. 

God kept telling Moses what to do next, and so the sixth plague 
came when Moses sprinkled a handful of dust in the air before Pharaoh. 
Boils now broke out upon the people of Egypt. Dreadful boils they 
were, and painful. Because of them the magicians could not stand be- 
fore Pharaoh. Still the king remained stubborn, and unwilling to obey 
God. Then Moses warned him that the greatest trouble he had ever 
seen in Egypt should come the next day if he still refused tio let the 
people go. Messengers were sent out through the land of Egypt to 
warn the people to seek shelter for themselves and for their beasts lest 
they should be killed by this terrible plague. Some of the Egyptians 
had learned to believe Moses and Aaron, and they hurried to their 


PHARAOH SEES GOD’S SIGNS AND MIRACLES 107 

Homes. But others, like Pharaoh, were not willing to listen to the 
warning, and they remained in their fields. 

When the sky grew black with storm-clouds and the thunder began 
to peal, the people became afraid. It seldom rains in Egypt, and they 
had never heard thunder nor seen lightning before. Soon the hail- 
stones began to fall as fast as rain-drops, and the lightning ran like 
fire along the ground. All living things that! had remained in the 
fields were killed by the lightning and hail. 

Now Pharaoh was terribly frightened. Hje called loudly for Moses 
and Aaron to come at once. And he cried out, “I have sinned this 
time; I and my people are wicked.” He promised that the Israelites 
might go at once if God would only cause the awful thunder and 
lightning and hail-storm to cease. Moses answered, ‘ 4 1 will spread out 
my hands toward heaven as soon as I amj outside the city, and the 
storm will cease, that you may know the earth belongs to God. But 
I know that you and your people do not yet fear the Lord God as you 
should fear him.” 

When the storm-clouds rolled away, Pharaoh looked out upon the 
bright sunlight again and his heart grew as hard as before. He was 
not at all willing to obey God. 

Moses may have grown tired of going so often to the king. But 
God told him that more plagues should yet come upon! Egypt before 
Pharaoh would really let the Israelites get out of the land of Goshen. 
The hail-storm had destroyed all the growing crops in the land, but the 
wheat^and rye were not damaged because they had not grown up. The 
next plague, God told Moses, would be locusts, and they would eat up 
every green thing which appeared above the ground. When the 
Egyptians heard that another plague was coming upon the land they 
hurried to Pharaoh and said, “How long are you going to let these 
men bother our country! The land is spoiled already by the hail, and 
if the locusts come they will destroy everything.” 

So Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and asked, “Whom do you in- 
tend to take with you when you go to worship your God!” 

Moses replied, “We will take all of our people, and we will also 
take our flocks and herds.” 

Pharaoh told Moses that danger would surely come upon the 
women and children if they should be taken out into the wilderness. He 
pretended to be very thoughtful about the safety of these people. 
4 ‘ Take only your men and let them sacrifice, ’ ’ he said, and, refusing to 
hear Moses’ reply, he drove them from his presence. 

When Moses went out from Pharaoh’s palace, the Lord said, 


108 


BIBLEi-STORY BOOK 


“ Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts to come, ” 
and Moses obeyed. Then an east wind began to blow. All that day 
and all the next night the east wind blew, and when morning came again 
a great cloud of locusts appeared in the sky. They covered the whole 
land of Egypt, and were so many that they darkened the land. 

Fear came into Pharaoh’s heart again, and he sent in haste for 
Moses and Aaron. “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and 
against you,” he said. “Now forgive me this time, and pray that God 
will take these locusts awlay, or I and my people shall die . 9 9 And Moses 
prayed again, and the Lord sent a strong west wind, which carried the 
locusts away and drowned them in the Red Sea. 

When Pharaoh hardened his heart) again, God told Moses to stretch 
his hand out toward heaven once more, and this time a great darkness 
would come upon the land of Egypt. Moses did so, and a thick dark- 
ness covered the land. For three days there was no light at all in 
Egypt— not even moonlight nor starlight. 

Pharaoh sent the lasti time for Moses and Aaron, and said, ‘ ‘ I will 
let all the people go as you have asked; only they mlust not take their 
flocks and herds . 9 9 

But Moses answered boldly, “We shall take with us everything that 
we have when we go to serve our God . 9 9 

Now Pharaoh became very angry, and he said, “Get out of my 
sight. And if I ever see your face again I shall kill you.” 

Moses answered bravely, “It shall be just as you say; for you shall 
.never see my face again. But know this : God will send one more terrible 
plague upon you and your people, after which you will drive the Is- 
raelites away out of your land.” And so saying he walked out of the 
Egyptian court. 


STORY 6 

WHEN THE DEATH-ANGEL VISITED PHARAOH’S PALACE 

Exodus 11—13 

Evening shadows were beginning to creep over the land of Goshen 
and across the barren fields of Egypt. Everything had grown quiet 
around the walls and buildings where the Israelites had toiled. Never 
again would the men return to pick up their tools and work for Phar- 
aoh. The time had come when they were going to leave Goshen. 

Before this God had told Moses that one more plague was coming 



THE DEATH-ANGEL VISITED PHARAOH ’S PALACE 109 

upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. So terrible should it be that Pharaoh 
would want to drive the Israelites out of the land. “T'ell the people 
to get ready to leave quickly,” the Lord had said; “for they must start 
at once when Pharaoh’s messenger comes.” 

And the Israelites believed now that God had sent Moses to help 
them. They honored him as a great man, indeed, and were ready to 


ISRAELITES SPRINKLING BLOOD ON THEIR DOOR-FRAME 

obey him because they saw tihe wonders that God brought upon Egypt 
through Moses’ words. Many of the Egyptians, too, honored Moses 
as a great man, and became friendly toward the Israelites. They even 
seemed eager to please the people whom they once hated and scorned 
as slaves. They had seen how God protected his people from the troub- 
les that came upon Egypt. 

On this evening every household in Goshen was very busy. In- 
stead of preparing for a restful night of sleep, every man, woman, and 
child was wide awake and very much excited about something. They 
were obeying the command that Moses had given them from God. 



110 


BIBLEi-S-TORY book 


Every father was killing a lamb and sprinkling blood upon the door- 
frame of bis dwelling. Every mother was preparing vegetables to cook 
with the roasted lamb. Every boy and girl was helping to gather the 
flocks and herds from! the scattered pasture-lands of Goshen, or to run 
errands for his parents. 

“ Tonight at midnight, ” Moses had said, “God will send an angel 



THE DEATH-ANGEL LOOKING FOR THE BLOOD-STAINS 


through the land, and every house where blood is not sprinkled upon 
the door-frame this angel will enter. And he will bring death to the 
eldest child in that home. ’ ’ Moses told the Israelites to kill a lamb for 
each family, and sprinkle their door-frames with blood. “Then,” said 
Moses, “roast the lamb and with it cook vegetables, and prepare for a 
midnight supper. For when the death-angel passes over the land you 
must be dressed and ready to start on a journey. You must eati your 
supper standing around the table. Neither shall any of you go out into 
the darkness, lest the angel meet you there and you die.” 

This midnight) supper was called the “Pass-over” supper, because 
the angel passed over the houses of the Israelites when he saw their 
blood-sprinkled door-frames. And God commanded that the Israelites 
should eat such a supper once each year, at the same time, in memory 
pf the night when he kept them from death in Egypt. 

Now, the Egyptians did not sprinkle blood on their door-frames, 



THE DEATH-ANGEL VISITED PHARAOH ’S PALACE 111 

nor prepare a midnight meal. Every one of them had gone to bed as 
usual, expecting to sleep soundly until the next daydawn. Biut at mid- 
night they were awakened. Even Pharaoh was aroused. He hurried 
to the bedside of his eldest son— and found him dead. What a terrible 
plague ! Pharaoh knew God had done this, and he cried aloud. In every 
home in Egypt the same sad cry arose, “Our eldest child is dead!” 
What a hitter time! 

Not waiting until morning should come, Pharaoh sent a swift mes- 
senger to Goshen in search of Moses and Aaron. There he found every 
one wide awake, all of them ready to start on their journey. “Pharaoh 
has sent word that you and all your people must leave Goshen ati once, ’ ’ 
the messenger said. “And he demands that you take everything with 
you just as you have requested. Do not leave anything behind.” The 
Egyptians, too, sent messengers to Goshen and urged the Israelites tio 
hurry out of the land. “We shall, all die if you stay here longer,” they 
said. 

For many years the Israelites had been slaves. They had no money 
and they had nothing that could be used as money. Now, at God’s com- 
mand, Moses told the people to ask their Egyptian neighbors for jewels 
of silver and of gold. And the Egyptians opened their treasure-boxes 
and gave freely to the Israelites. So eager were they for the Israelites 
to go away that they were willing to give them anything for which they 
asked. 

And very early in the morning, without waiting to eat breakfast, 
the Israelites began to leave Goshen. Like a great army, six hundred 
thousand men with their wives and children marched out of Egypt. 
They took also their flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. The women 
had mixed dough in their pans for bread hut had not put leaven, or 
yeast, in it to miake it rise. They carried the pans on their heads, as 
people carry loads in that country. When they stopped to eat, they 
baked the dough in cakes over coals of fire, and this was called unleav- 
ened bread. And a rule was made that for one week in every year the 
Israelites should eat bread without leaven, or yeast, in it. This week 
was afterwards celebrated as a feast, and was called the Feast of the 
Unleavened Bread. 

Moses and Aaron led the people out of Egypt just as shepherds 
lead their sheep to fresh pasture-lands. Blut they did not choose the 
way to go ; for God went with them, and he chose the way. In the day- 
time he concealed his presence in a great cloud, which moved slowly 
before the people, and at night, when they rested, he watched over them 
through a pillar of fire. By day and by night the Israelites could look 


112 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


upon tihe cloud and the pillar and say, ‘ 1 Our God is going with us, and 
he is leading the way/’ 

Among the things that the Israelites carried out of Egypt was a 
stone coffin. In this coffin the body of Joseph had rested for hundreds 
of years. You remember that before Joseph died he commanded the 
Israelites not to bury him in Egypt, but to place his body in a stone 
coffin and carry it back to Canaan when they should return some day to 
live again in that land. He asked to be buried in the cave where Abra- 
ham, and Isaac, and Jacob, his father, had been buried. And now, 
though long years had passed, the men who were the great, great- 
grandsons of this mighty prince in Egypt were now carrying his bones 
back to be buried in the land God had promised to his people. 


STORY 7 

HOW GOD SHOWED HIS POWER AT THE RED SEA 

Exod. 14:1-15:21 

When the Israelites came into Goshen, they numbered only seventy 
people. Now when they were returning again to Canaan they numbered 
many thousands. 

This great army was divided into twelve companies, or tribes, and 
these tribes were called after the names of Israel's sons. There was 
the tribe of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, in which every one was a de- 
scendant of Reuben: and the tribe of Simeon, Israel's second son, in 
which every one was a descendant of Simeon. And so it Was in each 
of the twelve tribes, which bore the names of Israel's sons. 

After this great company left Goshen, with their flocks and herds, 
God led them by the cloud to the shore of the Red Sea. Here they 
camped. Then they planned to rest from their march. 

But suddenly a cry rose in the camp, “Pharaoh’s army is coming 
upon us! We shall be taken as prisoners or else be killed!” The peo- 
ple looked, and sure enough, Pharaoh's armiy was coming behind them 
and shutting them away front the only road to safety. They could not 
swim across the sea. Neither could they fight against! Pharaoh's skil- 
ful soldiers, for they had never been trained! for battle. How fright- 
ened they were ! 

At firsti the people blamed Moses for bringing greater trouble upon 
them than they had ever known before. But Moses was not tio blame. 
He had only followed the cloud in which God's presence dwelt, and the 


HOW GOD SHOWED HIS POWER AT THE RED SEA 113 



A MODERN" PICTURE OP NEAR WHERE THE ISRAELITES CROSSED THE RED SEA 


114 


BIBLEi-STORY BOOK 



THE ISRAELITES SAFE. AND THE EGYPTIANS BEING DROWNED 


HOW GOD SHOWED HIS POWER AT THE RED SEA 115 


cloud had led them here. God wished to show his great power once 
more to the proud king who refused to obey him. 

When Moses cried to God for help, the Lord told him to speak to 
the people and quiet) them. They were all crying out in fear. He com- 
manded them to stand still and see the wonderful path God was mak- 
ing for their escape. Then the cloud moved backward and stopped be- 
tween their camp and Pharaoh’s army. To the Israelites the cloud be- 
came a pillar of fire and lightened their camp all the night, but to the 
Egyptians the cloud became all darkness. 

God told Moses to stretch his rod over the water of the Red Sea 
and divide it into two seas. Moses obeyed, and God sent a strong wind, 
which swept a wide path through the waters and dried the ground. 
On each side of this path' the waters rose like a high wall, and stood still 
unti] every one of the Israelites and their flocks and herds had crossed 
in safety to the other side. 

Now, Pharaoh’s heart, had hardened again after he sent the Israel- 
ites outi of Goshen. And Pharaoh said, ‘ ‘ I have made a great mistake 
by letting all my slaves go free. I must send my army after them and 
bring them back.” So he had followed the Israelites. When the cloud 
lifted and he and his army saw the Israelites walking through the sea 
upon a dry path between two walls of water, they rushed after them. 
For a while all went well, but when Pharaoh’s army w!as far out from 
the shore, trouble came upon him and his soldiers. The horses became 
tangled in the harness and their feet began to sink in the sand. The 
chariot- wheels came off. 4 ‘Let us go back!” the soldiers cried. “Is- 
rael ’s God is fighting againsti us ! ” But it was too late ; they could not 
go back, for the walls of water on either side fell down and the whole 
army was drowned. 

This was a great deliverance to the Israelites. They saw that God 
had saved them from their enemies, and that he had even destroyed 
the ones who troubled them so many years. Now they were free from 
slavery. 

Moses wrote a beautiful song about this deliverance, and all the 
people sang and rejoiced together. The Women played musical instru- 
ments called timbrels, and followed Miriam, the sister of Moses and 
Aaron, through the camp, singing praises to God. 


116 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 8 

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE WILDERNESS OF SHUR 

Exod. 15: 22-27 

After the Israelites celebrated their great deliverance from the 
Egyptian army, they began their march across the Wilderness of Shur. 
This was a country very unlike the land of Goshen. No waving fields 
of grain could they see, no grassy pasture-lands could they find for 
their flocks and herds. On every side the country looked barren and 
dreary. By and by they came to a camping-place called Marah, and 
here they found more trouble. 

The Israelites began to learn that trouble came in other countries 
besides Egypt, and from other causes besides wicked taskmasters and 
proud, hard-hearted, selfish kings. In this wilderness they were suf- 
fering because they could find no water to drink. The cattle and sheep 
were thirsty, too, and every one was tired from the long march across 
the barren country. At Marah they found a spring of water, and with 
a glad cry they ran forward to get a drink. But the water was so bitter 
they could not swallow it. How unhappy they felt! They looked un- 
kindly at Moses and were ready to blame him again for their troubles. 

Moses, too, w!as thirsty, and he felt sorry for the people. But in- 
stead of growing impatient and ugly, he cried to God for help. And 
God told him what to do. 

Near the spring where the bitter water was found grew a tree. 
God told Moses to cut this tree down and throw! it into the spring. 
Moses did so, and the waters became sweet. Then the people drank 
deeply and were satisfied. The cattle and sheep, too, had an abundance 
to drink. 

God wished to teach the people to trust him for their helper when 
troubles came. He probably wished to show them by this miracle how 
he could heal their bodies when sickness should come upon them. He 
also promised that if the people would obey his voice and do right, 
he would not let them suffer from any of the diseases that he had sent 
upon the Egyptians. 

From the camp at Marah the Israelites moved forward again, and 
came to another stopping-place. Here they found a beautiful grove 
of palm-trees and twelve wells of water. The name of this place was 
Elim. The people pitched their tents beneath the tirees and drank from 
the wells. They were glad to find such a pleasant place to camp in the 
wilderness. 


HOW GOD FED THE PEOPLE IN THE WILDERNESS 117 


STORY 9 

HOW GOD FED THE HUNGRY PEOPLE IN THE WILDERNESS 

Exodus 16 

The Israelites enjoyed their rest at Elim; but after somje days the 
cloud in which God’s presence dwelt lifted and began too move slowly 
away. By this sign the people understood that God wished to lead them 
farther on their journey. So they took down their tents and prepared 
too start forward again. 

Now they entered a great desert country which lay between Elim 
and the mountain where God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. 
This country was called the Wilderness of Sin. 

Like fretful children, the Israelites began to find fault with Moses 
and Aaron. First one thing, then another, displeased them. They 
could find so little food to eat in the great wilderness, and they grew 
hungry. Then they forgot how much they had suffered in Egypt. They 
forgot how many times God had helped them out of trouble. They 
thought only of their hunger, and of their unhappy state. They said, 
“We wish we had never left Egypt, for there we always had plenty to 
eat. We would rather have died there than die in this dreary coun- 
try.” 

Moses heard the people complain and he was grieved. God, too, 
heard them. He spoke to Moses and said, “The people are sinning 
against me when they find fault with you because you led them out of 
Egypt. I shall not let them die of hunger, but I have brought themi to 
this place so that they may know that I am the giver of all their bless- 
ings. In the evening I shall send mieati to them, and in the morning I 
shall give them bread from heaven.” 

Then Moses called the people together to hear the words of the 
Lord. While Aaron spoke to them they looked toward the wilderness 
and saw in the cloud a glorious light. They knew God had heard their 
complaints. 

In the evening a great mlany quails flew into the camp, and the 
people killed them for meat. The next morning a heavy dew lay on the 
ground. When the sun beamed down warm and bright the dew disap- 
peared, and left the ground covered with something which looked white, 
like frost. “What is this?” the people asked each other when they 
looked out of their tents and saw the strange food lying on the ground. 
In their language “what is this?” are the words “man hu,” and so the 


118 . BIBLE-STORY BOOK 

people said to each other, ‘ Man hu? man hu?” Afterwards the food 
was called manna. 

Moses told the people that God had sent this food to be their bread. 
“Go and gather it,” said he, “and bring as much as yon will need for 
today. Do not keep any in your vessels for tomorrow, because God 
wlill send a fresh supply. Each morning he will cause this bread to 
fall, except on the morning of the seventh day. On the sixth day you 
must gather twice as much as' usual, and what is left after you have 

eaten of that gathering you may keep 
for the seventh day. It will noti spoil 
on the seventh day, because God wishes 
you to keep that day as a holy Sabbath 
and do no work.” 

At Moses ’ bidding the people 
rushed out with vessels and gathered 
the manna from the ground. They 
cooked it, and the tastie of this food 
pleased them. 

Now, some of the people were not 
careful to obey Moses. When they saw 
they had prepared more manna than 
was needful for one day they kept it un- 
til the next morning. But the bread 
was no longer fit to eati, and they had 
to go out again to gather a fresh sup- 
ply. And some failed to gather twice 
as much as usual on the sixth morning* 
But when they went out with their vessels on the Sabbath morning to 
pick up the wonderful bread they could find none. God was not pleased 
because they had disobeyed. And they had nothing to eat on that Sab- 
bath. 

From this time God sent manna to the Israelites every morning, 
except on the Sabbath, until they came to the land of Canaan. 



ISRAELITES GATHERING THE 
BREAD FROM HEAVEN. MANNA 



HOW GOD FED THE PEOPLE IN THE WILDERNESS 119 









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120 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 10 

HOW GOD SHOWED HIS POWER AT REPHIDIM 

Exodus 17, 18 

Leaving the Wilderness of Sin, the Israelites came to a place called 
Rephidim, and here again the cloud stopped as a sign that they should 
camp and rest from their journey. 

But the people began to complain ati once. Although God was 
sending bread to them every day, now; he had led them to a place where 
no water could be found— not even a spring of bitter wiater. And they 
were thirsty. Coming to Moses, they asked impatiently that! he give 
them some water to drink. But Moses was as helpless as they. Every- 
where he searched for water, but nowhere could he find a drop. The 
people grew more impatient and restless. Finally they cried, “Why 
did you bring us and our children and our cattle outi to this dreadful 
place to kill us with thirst V 9 Instead of asking Cod to help them, they 
were complaining against Moses, and somie were even ready to kill him. 

Then Moses cried aloud to God for help. The Lord told him to 
call the chief men of each tribe and take them witth him to Mount 
Horeb. There God told him to strike a certain rock with his rod, while 
the men stood near by. Although no springs or rivers were in sight, 
when Moses struck the rock a stream of clear water flowed from it and 
ran down the mountain-side into the valley where the people were camp- 
ing. Here again God helped when they were in trouble. 

In the country around Rephidim a wild people lived who were 
called Amalekites. These people attacked the Israelites, and tried to 
steal their goods. 

Moses chose a brave young man named Joshua to lead the army 
of Israel against their enemies. And while they fought!, Moses stood 
on a hilltop and watched the battle. Aaron and Hur stood by him. 
Moses stretched his arms toward heaven and prayed God to help his 
people. In his hand he held the rod with which so many miracles had 
been performed. And the men of Israel drove their enemies back' into 
the wilderness. Butt the battle was not yet ended. 

Finally Moses grew very tired, and his arms fell to his sides. Then 
the Amalekites turned about and drove the men of Israel back. Moses 
saw at once that God was not helping his people when he was not 
holding the rod aloft. So he lifted it toward heaven once more. When 
his arms grew very tired again Aaron and Hur brought a large stone 
for Moses to sit upon. Then they stood, one on each side of him, and 


THE VOICE FROM A SMOKING MOUNTAIN 


121 


held up his arms until evening. The battle then ended, and Joshua 
returned with his men to the camp at Rephidim. The people knew God 
had helped them to drive their enemies away. 

At this place Moses builti an altar, to worship God. 

One day while the Israelites were camping at Rephidim some vis- 
itors from Midian came to see Moses. They were Jethro, Moses ’ 
father-in-law, and Zipporah, Moses ’ wife, and Gershom and Eliezer, 
Moses ’ sons. J ethro had heard how wonderfully God saved the Israel- 
ites from Pharaoh’s slavery, and he wished to talk with Moses. He 
brought sacrifices to offer upon the altar which Moses had builti, and 
the Israelites also worshiped with him before the Lord. During his 
visit Jethro told Moses how to judge the people and how to lessen his 
burden. Then he bade Moses good-by and went to his own country. 


STORY 11 

THE VOICE FROM A SMOKING MOUNTAIN 

Etxodus 19—24 

Near Mount Hpreb, where God talked to Moses from a burning 
bush, were other mountain-places. One of them was called Sinai. 
In front of this mountain lay a wilderness, which was also called 
Sinai. When Moses tended sheep for his father-in-law he used to lead 
the flocks through this wilderness. He learned where to find grassy 
plains and plenty of water. And now he brought the Israelites from 
Rephidim to this place, and they camped under the shadow of the 
great, rock-walled mountain. 

While the people were busy arranging their tents and preparing 
food, Moses climbed the mountain to talk with God. And the Lord 
said, “Tell the people thati I shall speak to them from this mountain. 
On the third day I shall speak, and they shall hear miy voice. Go, now, 
and bid them to wash their clothes and make ready to meet me . 9 9 

When the Israelites heard Moses’ vtords they grewl busy at once. 
Every one found something to do. Some carried water from the 
springs, and others washed soiled clothing. They were getting ready 
for a special time, when they might stand wiith Moses before God. 

On the third morning a thick, dark cloud rested on top of Mount 
Sinai. Terrible thunders rolled down the mountain-sides into the val- 
ley, and sharp lightnings broke through the thick cloud and flashed 
across the sky. The whole mountain shook. The Israelites had never 
seen nor heard such before, and now they trembled in their tents. 

Then a trumpet sounded from the mountain-top. Perhaps an angel 


122 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


blew it. God bad told Moses to gather the people together when they 
should hear the sound of a trumpet. And now they gathered together 
near the foot of the shaking mountain and listened to hear God’s voice. 
Moses said, 4 ‘Do not come any nearer, for God has said the mountain 
is holy and that if you touch it you shall die.” 

The trumpet sounded louder, and the mountain began to smoke 
as though a great fire was burning on the inside. Then Moses called, 
and a voice answered him from the mountain-tiop. It was the voice of 
God. And this voice spoke the words of the Ten Commandments so 
that all the people heard. As they listened great fear came into their 
hearts. They hurried back into the valley. And they cried to Moses, 
“Lett not God speak to us in this voice of thunder, for we shall die. 
We will hear when you speak his wfords, and we will obey them.” 

Moses answered, “Do not be afraid when God speaks. He wishes 
to teach you that he is a great God, and holy. He wants you to serve 
him only, and never to bow down to other gods, as other people do.” 

Still the people stood far off, for they were afraid. But Moses was 
not afraid. He went) into the thick darkness where God was, and lis- 
tened while God told him about the many laws which; he wanted the 
Israelites to obey. And Moses wrote the words of God in a book. 

When Moses came down from the mountain, he told the people all 
the words God had spoken; and they answered, “We will be obedient.” 

Early in the morning of the next day, Moses built an altar under 
the shadow of the great mountain, and the young men brought offer- 
ings of oxen and sheep to give to the Lord. The people assembled again, 
and Moses read to them from the book of the covenant. Then they 
said, “All that God has spoken we will do. We will be obedient.” 
And Moses took blood from the offerings of oxen which the young men 
had brought and sprinkled the blood upon the altar and upon the peo- 
ple. He said, “This is the blood of the covenant.” We remember 
that a covenant made by God is a promise that will never be broken 
if the people to whom the promise is made will be obedient. And we 
remember that the people worshiped God by offering the blood of 
animals instead of their own blood because they had sinned. Since 
Christ Jesus, our Savior, died upon the cross and gave his life-blood, 
people no longer need to worship God with blood-offerings, like they 
did before he died. He was the perfect offering for sin ; and when we 
believe that he died for us, then we may be saved from our sins. 

"When this solemn service ended, the people went back to their 
tent-homes in the valley, and Moses took Aaron and his two sons, Nadab 
and Abihu, and seventy of the old men with him up the mountain. God 


THE VOICE FROM A SMOKING MOUNTAIN 


123 


had commanded them to worship him there. And they saw the glory 
of God and they were noti afraid. But they did not come near to the 
wonderful brightness of His glory. Oinly Moses came near. 

After this time Moses went up on the mountain again, and took 
Joshua with him. He commanded the people to be obedient to Aaron 
and Hur until he should return. For forty days he listened to God’s 
words, and the Lord gave him two flat tablets of stone upon which he 
had written with his own hand the words of the Ten Commandments. 
These were the words he spoke in a voice of thunder to the people. 
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 


I 

Thou shalt have no other gods 
before me. 

II 

Thou shalt not make unto thee 
any graven image, nor any likeness 
of anything that is in heaven 
above, or that is in the' earth be- 
neath, or that is in the water un- 
der the earth: thou shalt not bow 
down thyself to them 1 , nor serve 
them: for I the Lord thy God am 
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity 
of the fathers upon the children 
unto the third and fourth genera- 
tion of them that hatie me; and 
showing mercy unto thousands of 
them that love me and keep my 
commandments. 

III 

Thou shalt not take the name of 
the Lord thy God in vain ; for the 
Lord will not hold him guiltless 
that taketh his name in vain. 

IV 

Remember the Sabbath-day to 
keep it holy. Six days shalt thou 
labor, and do all thy work ; but the 
seventh day is the Sabbath of the 
Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not 
do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor 


thy daughter, nor thy man servant, 
nor thy maid servant, nor thy cat- 
tle, nor thy stranger that is within 
thy gates : for in six days the Lord 
made heaven and earth, the sea, 
and all that in them is, and rested 
the seventh day : wherefore the 
Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and 
hallowed it. 

V 

Honor thy father and thy moth- 
er: that thy days may be long upon 
the land which the Lord thy God 
giveth thee. 

VI 

Thou shalt not kill. 

VII 

Thou shalti not commit adultery. 

VIII 

Thou shalt not steal. 

IX 

Thou shalt not bear false wit- 
ness against thy neighbor. 

X 

Thou shalt not covet thy neigh- 
bor’s house, thou shalt not covet 
thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man 
servant, nor his maid servant, nor 
his ox, nor His ass, nor anything 
thati is thy neighbor’s. 


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STORY 12 

THE STORY OF A GOLDEN CALF 

Ecxodus 32 

While Moses was up on top of Mount Sinai talking with God, and 
Joshua was waiting for him on the mountain-side, the Israelites could 
see from their tent doors in the valley what seemed to be a flame of 
fire leaping up toward the sky, day and night, from the placei where 
Moses was in tihe thick cloud. They knew this was a signi of God’s 
presence on the mountain. 

But when the days passed by into weeks and still Moses did not 
return, the Israelites began to think he would never come back to them 
again. They grew restless. They soon forgot the great terror which 
filled their hearts when God’s voice thundered to them from the smok- 
ing mountain in words they understood. They seemed to forget even 
the words that God spoke. And then it was easy to act as though 
they had forgotten their promise to Moses, that they would obey the 
words of the Lord. 

One day they came to Aaron and said, “We know something 
dreadful has happened to Moses, because he does not come back. ’ ’ They 
complained because Moses had led them into the lonely wilderness 
and left them without a brave leader to take his place. Every day they 
grew more restless. Finally they planned to go on without Mpses. 
So they came to Aaron and said, “Make us gods to go before us and 
show us the way.” 

x Now Aaron was not a brave man. He feared the people. He 
remembered the time when they wanted tio kill Moses because they 
could find no water, at Rephidim. Perhaps he thought they would 
throw stones at him and kill him if he refused to do as they asked. So 
he did not point them to the flame of fire which still leaped toward the 
sky from the mountain-top, where God was talking with Moses. He 
did not remind them of their promise to serve no other God except the 
One who spoke to them in a voice of thunder. Instead of bravely 
doing these things, he told them to bring their golden earrings, which 
the Egyptians had given them before they left Goshen. Then he took 
the gold that they brought and melted it carefully in a fire. When it 
was melted together, he shaped the mass of gold into the form of a 
calf, or a young ox, such as the Egyptians worshiped. v This calf he 
set up in the middle of the camp. 

Then the Israelites made a great feast and began to worship the 


THE STORY OF A GOLDEN CALF 


125 


golden calf, just as they had seen their Egyptian neighbors worship 
oxen at their temples. This was very wicked. As they bowed them- 
selves before the idol and sang and danced around it they broke two 
of the Ten Commandments which God had given them to* obey. In 
the first command God had said, “Thou shalt serve no other gods”; 
and in the second command he had forbidden them to worship before 
anything they made, calling it a god. Now they were even crying 
out, “This is the god which brought us out of Egypt!” Nothing could 
have been more wicked. 

And God saw the golden calf. He saw the Israelites bowing down 
and worshiping it. He heard them singing and dancing around it. 
And he was greatly displeased. He said tio Moses, “The Israelites 
have sinned against me. They have broken their promise and made 
a god of gold. Now they are worshiping it, and crying, ‘This is the 
god which led us out of Egypt P Let me alone, Moses, and I will 
quickly destroy them all, for they are not fit to be called my people.” 
God promised to raise up another nation from the children of Moses 
to be his chosen people. 

Buti Moses loved the Israelites even though they had sometimes 
been unkind to him. He did not want God to destroy them all. So 
he prayed earnestly for God to spare their lives even though they had 
sinned greatly. He believed they might yet learn to serve the true 
God. And because Moses prayed for them, the Lord did noti destroy 
them as he had planned. 

Then Moses hurried dowh the mountain-side with Joshua, carry- 
ing in his arms the two wonderful tablets of stone upon which God had 
written the words of the Ten Commandments. It was hard for Moses 
to believe the Israelites had sinned so greatly. Biut as they came nearer 
the valley Joshua said, “I hear the sound of war in the camp.” Then 
they saw the people dancing and shouting before the god Aaron made. 

Moses understood now why God wished to destroy the Israelites. 
The sight of their idol-worship filled 'him with great) anger. He threw 
the wonderful tablets of stone upon the rocks at the foot of the moun- 
tain-path and broke them in pieces. Perhaps he thought, “What is the 
use of keeping these tablets when the people have already broken two 
of the great commandments God wrote upon them!” Then he rushed 
into the camp and tore the idol dowh before the people. He broke it 
in pieces and threw] it into the fire, he ground it into fine dust and threw 
the dust into the water from which the people drank. This made the 
water taste very bitter indeed, but Moses compelled the people to 
drink it. 


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Moses’ sudden appearance in the camp broke up the merry feast. 
His anger quieted the people. But many of them were sorry he had 



come back. They wished to keep on worshiping the god Aaron had 
made. Then Moses called Aaron and asked, “What have these people 
done that you have brought this terrible sin upon them?” 


HOW GOD PLANNED TO LIVE AMONG HIS PEOPLE 127 


And Aaron answered, “Do not be angry with me! You know 
these people, how their hearts are evil. And when they asked me to 
make a god for them to worship I told them to bring their golden ear- 
rings. I cast the earrings into the fire, and this calf came out!” 

Moses was still angry. He cried tio the people in a loud voice, 
“Whoever is on the Lord’s side, let him come and stand by me!” 
Then every man who belonged to the tribe of Levi left the Israelite 
host and stood by Moses. Then Moses told these brave men to take 
their swords and go through the camp and kill every person they found 
who still wanted to worship the golden calf. “Do not spare one of 
them,” he commanded. And the men killed three thousand people 
that day. 

This was a sad time in Israel’s camp. But no one was quite so 
sad as Moses. He understood howi terrible was the sin of his people 
and he feared that God might never forgive them. The next day he 
called them together and said, “You have done very wickedly, and in 
God’s sight your sin is very great. I will go up to him now and will 
make an offering for your sin. Perhaps he will forgive you.” 

And Moses went before the Lord and offered himself to die with 
the people. But God said,' “Those who have sinned against me must 
sutler for their own sins.” 

Then God told Moses to cut two tablets out of stone like the ones 
he had broken, and bring them up on the Mounti. And God wrote on 
those tablets the same words as he had written upon the others, and 
God talked with Moses again for forty days and forty nights on top of 
the mountain. 


STORY 13 

HOW GOD PLANNED TO LIVE AMONG HIS PEOPLE 

Exodus 34—43; Numbers 1—5 

The Israelites were glad when they heard that Moses wlas com- 
ing down from Mjount Sinai the second time with two stone tablets in 
his arms. They went out to meet himL Although he had been gone 
forty days and nights, this time they had not complained, nor wished 
to worship another god. But when they saw him coming they were 
afraid. They all turned back toward the camp. 

Moses could not understand why they should be so frightened. 
He called to them, and the rulers of the people stopped. Then they 
turned around and went back again with Aaron to meet Moses. They 


128 


BIBUE-STORY BOOK 


told him why every one was afraid of him. They said, “The skin of 
your face is shining with a strange light, like the sun, and we can not 
look upon it.” Moses did not know 1 that God’s glory was shining upon 
his face. But he put a veil over his face, and then all the Israelites 
came hack and listened to his words. 

God had given to Moses the rules that he wished the people to 
obey. These rules, or commandments, Moses wrote in a book. But the 
Ten Commandments, which God had spoken to the people in a voice 
of thunder, God himself wrote upon the two tablets of stone. When- 
ever Moses told the people about God’s words he wore a veil over his 
face, but whenever he talked with God he took the veil off. 

Now the time had come when God wanted to let the people know 
that he was living among them, right in their camp. He wanted them 
to have a certain place where they might) always worship him. He 
Wanted them to build such a place, where the sign of his presence 
might dwell just as it dwelt in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire 
by night. 

The Egyptians had temples built of stone, where they worshiped 
their gods. They had idols of gold and idols of silver and living 
animals in their temples, before which they bowed down and wor- 
shiped. This kind of worship is called idolatry. 

God wanted the Israelites to be his own people. He wanted them 
to act differently from other people. He wanted them to worship him 
only, because he is the only true God. So he told Moses about) his 
plan to dwell among the people, and he showed Moses how to build 
the place for worship. 

When the people heard about God’s plan to live among them, they 
were glad. They offered cheerfully to give the best of everything they 
had to help, build a place where they might worship the Lord, their 
God. They brought gifts of gold and of silver, of jewels, of wood, and 
of beautiful linen cloth. They brought also the skins of animals. 
And God chose two wise men, named Bezaleel and AJioliab, to teach 
other men how to use these gifts and make everything for the place of 
worship. 

Now the people themselves were living in tient-homes. These 
dwelling-places they could easily move about from one camp to an- 
other as they journeyed toward Canaan. God told Moses to build the 
place of worship somewhat like a tent, with board walls and with cloth 
top, so that it) could be taken apart and moved easily when the people 
moved their camp. This kind of place was called a tabernacle. 

And God told the people exactly what kind of material he wanted 


WHERE THE ISRAELITES WORSHIPED GOD 


129 


them to use when they made the tabernacle. He told them what kind 
of furniture he wanted them tio put inside the tabernacle. And he 
told them how to make the furniture and where to place each piece of it. 

The people were careful to obey all the words of the Lord. They 
worked faithfully and brought more gifts than were needed for the 
building. Even the women helped, for they spun beautiful linen cloth 
and made very pretty needlework. 

When everything was finished, God told Moses to set up the tab- 
ernacle in the middle of the camp. And he chose the men of the tribe 
of Levi to take care of the tabernacle. Moses and Aaron belonged to 
this tribe. God told Moses to divide the whole tribe of Levi into three 
groups, one group for each of Levi’s sons. And God said these three 
groups should camp one on the north side and one on the south side 
and one on the west side of the tabernacle. Moses and Aaron set their 
tent-homes on the east side, or in front of the door of the tabernacle. 

After this time, when God chose men from the twelve tribes to 
go out to battle against their enemies he did not take any men from 
the tribe of Levi. He divided the tribe of Joseph’s descendants into 
two separate tribes, and these tribes were given the names of Joseph’s 
two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. In this way he still had twelve 
tribes to go out to battle, and twelve tribes to camp, three on each of 
fhe four sides, around the place of worship. 


STORY 14 

THE TABERNACLE, WHERE THE ISRAELITES WORSHIPED GOD 

Etxodus 40 

The tabernacle, where the Israelites worshiped God, was sur- 
rounded by an uncovered space, called a court. This court was closed 
in by curtains, which were made of fine! linen, and hung upon brass 
posts. The curtains Were between seven and eighti feet high. At the 
end toward the east was an opening, through which the priests and 
their helpers might enter. 

Near the entrance, or door of the court, stood a great altar. This 
was called the “altar of burnt offering.” You remember that when- 
ever people of those times wished to worship God they built altars. 
Upon those altars they laid their gifts and sacrifices and burned them. 
They always built their altars of earth or of stones piled up. This 
altar of the tabernacle was built differently. It was built of thin boards, 


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BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


because God wanted the people to carry it with them wherever they 
journeyed. It was like a square box without bottom or top, and cov- 
ered on the inside and on the outside with brass so that iti would not 
catch fire and be burned. Inside this altar a metal grating was fastened 
on which the fire was kindled. The ashes would fall through this grat- 
ing to the ground. The altar was about five feet high and about seven 
feet square. Two long poles were fastened to two opposite sides of it, 
through rings at the corners, and whenever the Israelites moved their 
camp the priests carried the altar by placing the poles upon their 
shoulders. 

Near the altar of burnt offering stood a large basin, or tank, called 
a laver. When the tabernacle was set up, this laver was filled with 
water, to be used by the priests for washing their hands and feet, and 
perhaps for washing parts of the offerings. Much water was needed 
for the worship of the tabernacle. 

Further in the court stood the tabernacle itself. The walls of this 
place were made of boards covered with gold' and placed on silver 
bases. The roof was made of four curtains, one laid above another. 
The inner curtain was of very beautiful cloth, while the outer curtain 
was made of skins of animals, to keep out the rain. The front of the 
tabernacle opened into the court. There was no door, but sometimes 
a curtain hung before the opening. 

The tabernacle was divided into two rooms by a beautiful linen 
curtain, which hung from the roof. The first room, which opened into 
the court, was called the “holy place ’ ’ ; and the second room, which 
had no entrance except through the holy place, was called the “holy 
of holies.” 

In the first room were three things: a table, a golden candlestick, 
and a small altar. The table was covered with gold, and twelve loaves 
of bread were placed upon it, as if the people of each tribe were giving 
an ottering of food to God. The golden candlestick was made of pure 
gold, and it held seven burning lights. The small altar was called the 
“altar of incense,” because sweet perfumes were burning upon it. The 
fire upon this altar was to be lighted from the altar of burnt ottering. 
Everything in this room was made of gold or was covered with gold — 
even the board walls on each side. And the curtain-hangings and the 
curtain-ceiling were decorated with beautiful colors. 

The second room contained only the “ark of the covenant.” This 
ark was a box, or chest, covered entirely with gold, on the inside and 
on the outside. The lid of this box was called the “mercy-seat.” At 
each end of the mercy-seat was a strange figure, these were called 


HOW THE PEOPLE WORSHIPED GOD 


131 


cherubim. They were made of gold. The two stone tablets upon which 
God had written the words of the Ten Commandments were placed 
within the ark of the covenant. 

All the furniture of the 
tabernacle was built so that it 
could be easily carried from 
one place to another. And the 
board walls were made so that 
they could be taken apart and 
moved with the furniture and 
the brass postis and the cur- 
tains. 

When the tabernacle was 
set up in the middle of the 
camp, God moved the cloud 
above it and tilled it with his the ark of the covenant 

glory. Every day the cloud 

rested upon the tabernacle, and every night a flame of tire leaped from 
its roof. And all the people saw these things, and they knew that God 
was living among them. 



STORY 15 

HOW THE PEOPLE WORSHIPED GOD AT THE TABERNACLE 

Leviticus 1—9 

After the tabernacle wlas set up, Moses did not need to climb 
Mount Sinai any more to talk with God. Now he- could enter the taber- 
nacle, where God lived among the people, and hear the words of the 
Lord. 

Before this time, whenever any one wished to worship God, that 
one would build an altar and burn his offering upon it, calling on the 
Lord to forgive his sins. And the Lord would hear him. But now 
Moses told the people that whenever they wished to worship God and 
pray for the forgiveness of their sins they should bring their sacrifice 
to the men at the door of the court, whose duty it should be to tend the 
altar of burnt offering. Those men, Mjoses said, would be called 
priests. And the priests would offer the sacrifice of the people before 
the Lord, and God would accept them. 

God chose Aaron to be the high priest, and to him he gave the most 


132 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


important work in the tabernacle worship. Aaron’s sons God chose to 
be priests also, and they were to be Aaron’s helpers. 

On the morning w|hen the tabernacle worship first began, God told 
Moses to call the people together before the door of the court, and 
there, in the presence of them all, to anoint both Aaron and his sons 
with oil and to put on them the beautiful priestly robes: which they 
should wear. God wanted the people to see that he had chosen these 
men to do his work in the court and in the tabernacle, where no one else 
except Moses was allowed to enter. 

After Aaron was made high priest he offered a lamb on the altar 
of burnt offering as a sacrifice for the sins of the people. He did not 
put any fire on the altar, but God sent fire, which burned) up the lamb. 

When the people saw this they 
shouted with joy and fell down on 
their faces, because now they knew 
God was pleased with their offering 
and with their priests. From! that 
time the priests offered two sacrifices 
for sin upon the altar of burnt offer- 
ing every day— in the morning and 
in the evening. God reminded the 
people by these sacrifices thati sin is 
an awful thing. 

And the fire which God sent on 
the great altar was never allowed to die out. Every morning at sun- 
rise the priests' raked the coals and placed fresh wood upon them, to 
keep the fire burning brightly. Even when the tabernacle Was moved 
to another camping-place on their journey to Canaan, the priests would 
carry burning coals from the altar in a covered pan. God had lighted 
this fire, and they wished to keep it always burning. 

Inside the holy place, you remember, was a second altar, called 
the altar of incense, upon which sweet perfumes were burned before 
the Lord. It was the duty of the priests every morning and every 
evening to carry a fire-shovelful of burning coal^ from the great altar 
to light the fire on the altar of incense. They carried these coals in a 
bowl which hung on chains. Such a bowl was called a censer. God 
commanded that the altar of incense should never be lighted by any 
other fire except from! the one which he had kindled upon the great 
altar. 

Another duty of the priests’ was to keep twelve loaves of bread 
upon the golden table in the holy place. Each Sabbath morning they 



JOURNEY FROM SINAI TO THE BORDER OF CANAAN 133 


were to bring fresh loaves, and remove the stale ones. These loaves 
were called shewbread. No onei except a priest was permitted to eat 
this bread. 

The priests also tended the seven lamps thati burned on the golden 
candlestick. Every day they filled the lamp-bowls with fresh oil, and 
they kept the lights always burning. 

One day not long after the tabernacle worship had begun, a sad 
thing happened. Two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, were pre- 
paring to light the fire on the alt»ar of incense. They disobeyed God, 
and did not carry burning coals from the great altar but took other 
fire. And while they stood before the altar of incense in the holy place 
suddenly they fell down dead. Thus God punished them because they 
had dared to disobey his word. 

Moses would not allow Aaron nor his other sons to touch the bodies 
of Nadab and Abihu. He called two men who were Levites, and cousins 
of the dead men, to carry the bodies away and bury them in the desert 
sand outside the camp. 

This was a great lesson to Aaron and to his other sons. They saw 
that God expected them carefully to obey all of his Words. 


STORY 16 

THE ISRAELITES’ JOURNEY FROM SINAI TO THE 
BORDER OF CANAAN 

Numbers 9—12 

One day while the Israelites were still camping near Mount Sinai, 
God reminded Moses that a whole year had passed since they left 
Egypt. And God said, “The time has come when you must eat another 
Passover supper, for I want you to remember how the death-angel 
passed over your homes in Goshen.” Moses told the people the words 
of the Lord ; then every family in every tribe prepared al supper like 
the one they had eaten before Pharaoh drove them out of his country. 

Not many days after this Passover supper had been eaten, the 
Israelites saw the cloud lift from above the tabernacle and float slowly 
away toward the north. They knew the time had come when they must 
journey on. They had lived for nearly a year in the wilderness of 
Sinai, under the shadow of the great mountain, and no doubt they felt 
glad to start forward again toward Canaan. They followed the float- 


134 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


ing cloud on and on across the barren country for three days’ journey. 
Then the cloud stopped, and while they rested in their tents some began 
to complain. God was much displeased at this, and he sent a fire among 
them. Many of those who complained were killed by the fire. The 
other people were frightened, and they cried to Moses for help. They 
thought they might all be killed. Then Moses prayed, and God took the 
fire away. Moses called the name of this camping-place Taberah, 
which means, “A burning.” 

From Taberah the cloud led the Israelites farther north and 
brought them to the second stiopping-place. Here the people rested 
again. And here they seemed to forget the terrible punishment that 
came upon those who complained at Taberah. They seemed to forget 
every blessing that God had sent to them. They said, “We are hungry 
for meat;— oh, so hungry!” And they frowned when they saw the 
manna lying on the ground about their camp. “We are tired of this 
manna,” they cried; “we want meat!” They talked to each other 
about the fish that they ate while they lived in Elgypt, and about the 
vegetables that grew in their gardens in Goshen. And the more they 
talked about these things the hungrier they became. Then instead of 
cheerfully gathering the fresh manna, which God sent every morning, 
and thankfully preparing it for food, they complained while they 
worked and they grumbled while they ate. Finally, like pouting chil- 
dren, they stood in their tient doors and wept because they had no meat. 

Moses was very unhappy when he saw how foolishly the Israel- 
ites were behaving. Time after time they had complained, and just as 
often he had prayed for them. Now he- did not want to pray for them. 
He told the Lord he was tired of leading such unthankful people. He 
even wanted to die. Poor, discouraged Moses ! 

God, too, was much displeased with the Israelites. He knew they 
were unthankful and wicked. He knew they needed to be punished 
again. He felt sorry for Moses because the work was too heavy for 
him. He told Moses to choose seventy other men to help him in his 
work. And God caused those men to hear His words and to speak 
them to the people. 

Because the people desired meat, God sent them birds, quails. 
These he caused tio come in great numbers outside the camp. When 
the people heard about them they rushed into the desert to gather the 
birds. For two days and one night they worked steadily, for God had 
sent enough meat to last them through one whole month. Butt they did 
not take time to thank God for this food. They thought only of satis- 
fying their hunger. And thus they added more unthankfulness to their 


HOW TEN MEN SPOILED GOD’S PLAN 


135 


sins, and God punished them severely. While they were eating the 
meat God sent a sickness upon them and many died. And so here at 
this place, as at Taberah, they left behind them a graveyard where the 
dead bodies of their wicked relatives were buried. They called this 
place by the long name of Kib-roth-hat-ta-a-vah, which means, “The 
graves of lust.” 

When the cloud moved on, it stopped next at a place called 
Iiazeroth. Here Miriam and Aaron, the sister and brother of Moses, 
found fault with Moses because he had married a woman who was not 
an Israelite. And they questioned why he should be the chief ruler 
among the people when God had sometimes spoken to them also. They 
allowed a wicked feeling of envy to grow in their hearts. They envied 
Moses because he was great in the eyes of all the people. They, too, 
wished to be rulers, and to be called great and wise. But God was 
angry with them, and he sent a dreadful disease, called leprosy, upon 
Miriam. Her skin became whitie like snow, and when Aaron saw what 
had happened he felt sorry because they had sinned against Moses and 
against God. He told Moses of his sorrow, and asked him to pray that 
Miriam might be healed. Moses was ready to forgive them both, and 
he prayed earnestly for Miriam. God heard his prayer, and after seven 
days Miriam was well again. 

When the cloud lifted from Hazeroth, it did not stop again until 
the Israelites had entered the wilderness of Paran, which lies just 
outside of the promised land of Canaan. 


STORY 17 

HOW TEN MEN SPOILED GOD’S PLAN 

Numbers 13, 14 

The Israelites left the dreary desert behind them when they came 
to Kadesh-barnea, in the Wilderness of Paran. Now they were very 
near to Canaan, the land which God had promised to give them for 
their own country. Only one more march forward would take them 
across the border and into that beautiful country. 

But the Israelites were not ready to enter Canaan. Although they 
had always taken doWn their tents and prepared to march whenever 
God showed by his sign in the cloud that they should go forward, now 
they said, “We do not know this country that lies before us. We are 
not" ready to enter until we may know which way to go. Let us send 


136 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


men to pass through the land and search it. When they come again, 
they can tell us about what they have seen and which will be the safest 
road for us to travel.” The people did not want to trust God to lead 
them into Canaan, although he had led them safely through all the 
dangerous desert country and had provided food and water for them 



THE SPIES GATHERING FRUIT IN CANAAN 


when they cound find none. Now they wanted to depend more* upon 
themselves. And God let them have their own way. 

God told Moses to choose twelve men, one man from each of the 


HOW TEN MEN SPOILED GOD’S PLAN 


137 


twelve tribes, and send themi to search the land carefully. These 
twelve men were called spies, because they were sent to spy out the 
land of Canaan. Moses told them not to be afraid, for God would take 
care of them. And he commanded them to bring back some fruit from 
the land. 

For forty days the spies went here and there through the prom- 
ised land. They saw strong cities and small towns. They saw fields 
of grain and large vineyards with ripened grapes. They saw that the 
land was indeed beautiful, and that it was well supplied with food- 
stuffs. They knew that the Israelites would not need to grow hungry 
for meats and for vegetables in such a bountiful land. 

At the end of forty days the spies returned to Israel ’s camp. They 
brought samples of the fruits that grew in Canaan. Twio of them 
carried one large cluster of grapes on a staff between them. Never 
before had the Israelites seen such splendid fruit. Then ten of the 
spies began to tell about the land. ‘ ‘ It is indeed a good country, ’ ’ they 
said, “but the people who live there are stronger than we. Many of 
them live in cities surrounded by great walls that seem 1 to reach to the 
sky. Others of them are like giants— so powerful and so tall that we 
looked like grasshoppers in our own eyes. We were lucky to get back 
(alive.” 

Those spies did not thank God for taking care of them. They did 
not believe God would help the Israelites to overcome the giants and to 
overthrow the walled cities. They had no faith in God. And when the 
Israelites heard their report they began to weep. Then Caleb, one of 
the spies who trusted in God, quieted them and said, “Do not be 
afraid, for we are strong enough to take the land. Let us go up at 
once, for we are well able to overcome it. ’ ’ But the people would not 
listen to his words. They began to weep aloud, and all through the 
night the noise of their weeping was heard in the camp. When morn- 
ing came they began to complain against God. “We wish we had 
stayed in Egypt !” they said. “We had rather died back in the wilder- 
ness than to be killed by those dreadful giants in Canaan. Why has 
God brought us here to die? Oiur wives and our children will be taken 
for prisoners.’ ’ Then they planned to choose a captain and return 
again to Egypt. 

When Moses and Aaron heard about the plan they fell on their 
faces and begged the people to obey God. And Caleb and Joshua, the 
two spies who had faith in God, tore their clothes as a sign of deep 
sorrow and cried out to the people, “Do not sin so against the Lord! 
He has given us all the land before us, and he has taken away the cour- 


138 


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age of those who live in the land. We can easily drive them away. Let 
us go forward!” 

Instead of listening to Caleb and Joshua, the people wanted to 
throw stones at them and kill them. B'ut God would not allow them 
to harm his true men. While they Were going about to do the evil deed, 
suddenly a bright light flashed upon them from the door of the taber- 
nacle. And God spoke to Moses out of the light and said, “I am 
ready now to punish these wicked people with a terrible disease, which 
will kill them all. I am tired of their complaining and of their wicked 
plans. Although I have showed my great signs to them many times, 
still they will not trust me nor obey my words. I will take your chil- 
dren, Moses, and will make of them a great nation instead of the 
Israelites, and to them I will give the land of Canaan.” 

But Moses prayed earnestly for the people. He told the Lord 
that the Egyptians would hear about the death, of the Israelites and 
they would say, “God was not able to bring them into Canaan, so he 
killed them in the wilderness.” Moses reminded the Lord of his pronr- 
ise to be very merciful and to forgive wrong-doing. 

And God for Moses ’ sake forgave the Israelites and did not destroy 
them completely. But because they had refused to go forward at the 
Words of Caleb and Joshua, God said they should not be allowed to 
cross over into Canaan at that time. None of them from twenty years 
of age and upward should ever go into Canaan to live because they 
had said, “We had rather died in the wilderness!” To punish them 
God commanded that they should turn back again intio the dreary 
wilderness and camp there until every man who had murmured should 
die. Then their children might go in and possess the promised land. 

When the Israelites heard about this bitter punishment they did 
not want to go back. They said, “We will go forward, as the Lord 
firsti commanded us . 9 9 And their men who had been trained for battle 
hurried out of the camp to fight against the men of Canaan. Moses 
called to them, ‘ 4 Don ’t go ! God is not with you ! ’ ’ But they rushed 
on, paying no heed to Moses 9 warning, and the men of Canaan came 
out to meet them. The battle did noti last long, for the Israelites had 
not obeyed God, and he would not help them. Soon the men of Canaan 
drove them out of their land, and the Israelites ran away from the bat- 
tle into the wilderness. 


WHY THE EARTH SWALLOWED SOME ISRAELITES 139 
STORY 18 

WHY GOD CAUSED THE EARTH TO SWALLOW SOME 
ISRAELITES 

Numbers 16, 17 

One day a man named Korah began to tjhink wrong thoughts about 
Moses and about Aaron. As time went on, he allowed those wrong 
thoughts to grow in his mind until they became very wicked. He told 
others about his thoughts, and soon many people were thinking wicked- 
ly, too. 

Korah belonged to the tribe of Levi, to which tribe Moses and 
Aaron also belonged. God had chosen that tribe, you remember, to 
take care of the tabernacle. And he had chosen Aaron, one of that 
tribe, to be high priest, and Aaron’s sons he had chosen to be priests. 
No other people except the high pries ti, the priests, and Moses were 
permitted to enter the tabernacle. And no other people except the 
Levites were supposed even to come near the tabernacle, because God 
had made the tabernacle a holy place and he had separated the Levities 
from the other tribes to take care of this holy place. 

Korah thought, “I also am a Levite, and why am I not so good 
as Aaron?” And Korah envied Aaron. And two of Korah ’s friends, 
Dathan and Abiram, who belonged to the tribe of Reuben, heard Korah 
tell about his thoughts, and they said, u We are just as able to be rulers 
as is this man Moses.” And they went with Korah and with two hun- 
dred and fifty other men who despised Moses and Aaron. 

Finally all these men came to talk with Moses. They said, 4 4 You 
are lifting yourself above us as though you were some great person. 
We are just as good as you.” They spoke also against Aaron, for they 
envied both of these m;en. And Moses was grieved to hear their words. 
He knew that he had not set himself up above them as some great per- 
son. He knew God had chosen him to be their leader and he was only 
obeying God. He knew, too, that God had chosen Aaron to be the high 
priest. These men were not really talking against Moses and Aaron, 
but against) God. 

Moses told Korah and the men who were with him to bring cen- 
sers on the next day, with fire and with sweet incense in them, just 
as the priests brought censers before the Lord. He told Aaron to 
bring a censer also, and he said they should prove which man of them 
God had chosen to be their high priest. 

Moses’ words were told through all the camp, and on the next day 


140 


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the rest of the Israelites came with Korah and his friends. And Korah 
brought them all before the door of the tabernacle. And lie tiook Dathan 
and A biram and the two hundred and fifty men and stood in the door 
of the tabernacle, and every one of them placed a censer before the 

Lord, and Aaron, too, 
placed his censer be- 
fore the Lord. 

God was greatly 
displeased, and he told 
Mioses to go quickly 
away from the people 
for he was going to de- 
stroy them at once. But 
Moses fell down on his 
face and cried to God 
to spare their lives. 
Because of this God 
said he would not de- 
stroy the Israelites if 
they would go away 
from Korah and his 
friends. When they 
heard this the people 
hurried away in every 
direction, leaving Ko- 
rah and his friends 
alone by their tents. 
Then Moses said, 
“Now we shall prove 
whether I have ruled 
these people by God's 
command or whether I 
have chosen by my- 
self to rule over them. 
If the ground opens up 

and swallows these men we shall know that God has called me to 
do this work. No sooner had Moses finished speaking than the ground 
opened up under the feet of Korah and his friends and they fell scream- 
“ to *5® depths of the earth. The Israelites fled| in terror when 
they heard the screams of those who perished, for they thought the 
earth might swallow them up also. 


KORAH AND HIS FRIENDS BEING SWALLOWED 
BY THE EARTH 


WHY THE EARTH SWALLOWED SOME ISRAELITES 141 



We might suppose that the people surely would be afraid to speak 
against the Lord any more, or against his true men. But on the very 
next day the Israelites began to say, “Moses and Aaron are to blame 


AARON’S ROD WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT GREW 



142 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


because Korah and all bis friends were killed yesterday. Those were 
good people, too.” 

God beard their words, and he said to Moses and Aaron, 4 ‘ Go 
away from these people because I am ready to destroy them. They 
do not deserve to live.” But Moses and Aaron fell down before the 
Lord again and prayed earnestly for the people. This time God would 
noti hear their prayers. He sent a terrible sickness upon the people 
and they began to die everywhere in the camp. Moses was afraid they 
might all die. He told Aaron to take in a censer tire from the altar of 
burnt offering and burn sweet incense before God. And Aaron ran 
out among the people carrying the censer in his hand. He stood between 
those who had died and those who were yet alive. And God stopped 
the sickness that no more died of it. 

Soon after this God commanded each of the twelve tribes to send 
Moses a rod. And he commanded Moses to write upon each rod the 
name of the tribe who had sent it. God said that Aaron’s name should 
be written upon the rod of the tribe of Levi. Then God told Moses to 
place these twelve rods in the tabernacle before the ark and to leave 
them there until the next day. Arid God said, “The man whose rod 
shall grow is the man whom I choose to be my priest. ’ ’ 

The next day Moses found eleven of the rods looking just the same 
as when he had placed them before the ark. But the one which had 
Aaron’s name on it was blossoming like a growing branch upon a tree. 
Moses showed these rods to the people, and they knew by the sign of 
Aaron’s blossoming rod that God had chosen him to be the high priest. 
God commanded Moses to keep Aaron’s rod in the tabernacle so that 
the people might never forget to honor Aaron and his sons as God’s 
chosen men for the priesthood. 


STORY 19 

THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO THE ISRAELITES DURING THE 
FORTY YEARS THEY LIVED IN THE WILDERNESS 

Numbers 20; Deut. 2:1-15 

For nearly forty years the Israelites went from one place to an- 
other in the great wilderness. They did not try again to enter Canaan, 
m>r did they try to go back to Egypt. They waited for the time to come 
when God would be willing to lead them into the promised land. 


THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO THE ISRAELITES 143 


During those long years of waiting only a few things happened 
that we may read about. Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, died 
at Kadesh-barnea, and was buried there. About this time the wells 
at Kadesh dried up, and the people and their cattle and sheep could 
find no water to drink. They began to complain again, and God told 
Moses to take his rod and go with Aaron and all the people to a great 
rock not far from the camp. God said that Moses should speak to 
this rock in the presence of all the people. At Moses ’ word, God would 
cause water to flow out of the rock in a clear stream. From this all the 
people and all their animals might drink. 

Moses and Aaron gathered the people together and wenti before 
them out to the great rock. Then, instead of speaking to the rock, as 
God had said they should, Moses spoke to the people in an angry tone 
and asked, “Must we bring water to you out) of this rock?” Moses 
did not speak to the rock at all, hut struck it with his rod. When no 
water came out he struck it again, and this time a clear stream 1 gushed 
out and flowed across the sand. The people ran quickly to drink from 
it and to fill their vessels. The cattle and sheep also came to the stream 
and drank freely of the water God had sent. 

God was not pleased with Moses and Aaron when they failed to 
do just as he had commanded them. Because of their disobedience, 
God said they should both die before the Israelites crossed over into 
the promised land. 

Moses planned to lead thei Israelites into Canaan from another 
point. To reach that point, he planned to go through the country of 
Edom, where the Edomites lived. These people were descendants of 
Esau, the brother of Israel (Jacob) from whom the Israelites had de- 
scended. Both the Edomites and the Israelites were descendants of 
Abraham and of Isaac, and Moses wished to be friendly with these peo- 
ple of such near kin. He sent a messenger to the king of Edom, asking 
him to let the Israelites pass through his country. “We will not enter 
your fields nor your vineyards,” said the messenger, “and we will be 
careful to pay for the water that we drink from your wells.” 

But the king of Edom did not feel friendly toward the Israelites. 
He was afraid to let so many people pass through his country. He sent 
word back to Moses, saying, “You mjust not lead your people through 
Edom. If you try to pass through my land, I will fight against you 
with my army and will drive you back again into the wilderness.” 

Moses did not want to fight against) a people who were so near of 
kin to the Israelites. He changed his plans and led the people around 
the country of Edom— south, and east, and north toward the eastern 


144 


BIBLK-STORY BOOK 


part of Canaan. On this long, tiresome journey across bare wilder- 
nesses and rocky plains, the Israelites passed Mount Hor. 

While they were camping at Mount Hor, God told Moses to take 
Aaron and Eleazar, Aaron’s son, up on the mountain, and to take off 
Aaron’s priestly robes and put them on Elleazar. Aaron was now an 
old, old man, and the time had come when he must die. And God wanted 
Eleazar to become high priest after Aaron. 

With a sad heart Moses climbed the rocky mountain-side, taking 
his aged brother and his nephew along. And there he obeyed the 
words of the Lord, and there Aaron died. Then Moses returned to the 
camp again, with Eleazar, and all the people saw that Aaron did not 
come down with them. They saw, too, that Aaron’s priestly robes Were 
upon his son, and by this they understood that God had chosen Eleazar 
to be high priest in Aaron’s place. They knew Aaron had died up on 
the mountain, and they mourned for him for thirty days. 


STORY 20 

WHY THE BRASS SERPENT HUNG ON A POLE IN THE 
ISRAELITES’ CAMP 

Num. 21:4-9 

After the Israelites left Mount Hor they came into a desert coun- 
try where the hot sands burned their feet. Everything looked dreary, 
and Canaan seemed very far away. The people felt tired and unhappy. 
They began to complain again about their troubles. They said the 
manna no longer tasted good, and that they could find no water at all. 

While they were complaining, God caused fiery serpents, or poison- 
ous snakes which looked like fire and whose poison burned like fire, 
to crawl into their camp and bite many of the people. And those who 
were bitten died. 

Now these Israelites were not so stubborn as their fathers had 
been, who forty years before this time had often sinned against God 
by complaining about their troubles. Nearly all of those old men had 
died. These younger men knew, when the fiery serpents came among 
them;, that God was punishing them because they had sinned. And 
they were sorry for their wrong-doing. They came quickly to Moses 
and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and 
against you. We want you to pray for us, that God will tiake away 
these fiery serpents.” Moses prayed, and God told him to make a 


HOW GOD HELPED THE ISRAELITES 


145 


serpent of brass, like a fiery serpent, and bang it on a pole and set the 
pole up in the middle of the camp. Then God commanded the people 
who were bitten by the snakes to look toward the serpent of brass, which 
Moses had set up. “Whoever looks toward that serpent,” God said, 
“even though he is bitten by one of the poisonous snakes he shall not 
die.” And the people who believed God’s word and looked toward 
the serpent of brass were saved alive. 

Many long years after this time the descendants of these Israel- 
ites and all other people in the world were troubled and dying in their 
sins. And God sent his dear Son, Jesus, into the world to be hung on 
a cross as the brass serpent was hung on a pole. And God said that 
whoever would look to J esus wiould not die in his sins. But if any one 
would noti look to Jesus, that one should die in his sins just as surely 
as the Israelite who| would not look toward the brass serpent died of 
his snake-bite. Sin is like the fiery serpents ; it stings the soul of every 
man, woman, boy, and girl. We can not see it as the Israelites could 
see the poisonous snakes in the deserti, neither can we see Jesus as 
the Israelites saw the serpent of brass upon the pole. But we can 
feel the pain of guilt when sin stings our souls, and we can believe 
that Jesus died for our sins upon the cross. When we believe this 
we are looking by faith to Jesus, and thus we can be saved. 


STORY 21 

HOW GOD HELPED THE ISRAELITES WHEN THEY TRUSTED 

IN HIM 

Num. 21:12-22:2 

After the Israelites moved away from the camp where the fiery 
serpents had bitten them, they came to a wilderness near the land of 
Moab. Although they found no water in this wilderness, they did not 
murmur, because now they were willing to trust in God. And God told 
Moses to gather them together into one place and he wiould give them 
water. 

When the people came together, Moses told the chief! men of the 
tribes to dig a wlell in the sand. And while these men dug down to 
find springs all the people sang cheerful songs. They believed God 
would fill the well with good wafer even before they saw it bubble up 
from the deep springs. They pleased God by believing thus in him, 
and they enjoyed drinking from this wilderness well. 


146 


BIBLEI-STORY BOOH 


Near by was the country where the Amorite people lived. These 
were wicked people, who worshiped idols. Because their country lay 
between the Israelites’ camp and Canaan, Moses sent a message to 
Sihon, their king, asking him to let the Israelites pass through his land. 
But Sihon did not want them even toi come near. He took his army and 
went out to fight against the Israelites. He thought he would drive 
them away, back into the wilderness. 

But God helped the Israelites and gave them a great victory. They 
killed the wicked king and all of his soldiers, and afterwards they 
marched into his country and took it for their own land. They drove 
out all the Amorites who were living in the villages, and they even 
went into the cities where Sihon and his soldiers had lived. 

Soon after this the Israelites marched on into the land of Bashan. 
They did not even ask Og, the king of Bashan, to let them pass through 
his country. He, too, was a wicked king like Sihon had been, and his 
people also bowed down to worship idols. When Og heard that the 
Israelites were coming, he went out with his army to meet them and 
to fight against them. The Lord told Moses not to be afraid of this 
king nor of his army, for He would help the Israelites again. And 
when they fought, the Israelites killed the whole army of Bashan and 
took their country just as they had taken the land of the Amorites. 

Now the long journey of forty years through the wilderness had 
come to an end. All of the old men except Moses and Caleb and Joshua 
had died in the wilderness. The Israelites had come again to the bor- 
der of Canaan. Only the River Jordan separated them from the green 
hills and beautiful valleys of that promised land. They could look 
across the River and see the rich country, which God had promised to 
give to them for their own. 


STORY 22 

WHAT HAPPENED TO A WISE MAN WHO TRIED TO 
DISOBEY GOD 

Num. 22 : 1-35 

While the.' Israelites were setting up their tents on the plains of 
Moab near the Jordan River, the king of that country was wondering 
what he should do to make himjself and his people safe. He had heard 
what the Israelites did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, and he was 
afraid of them. He knew their army was larger than his. He knew 


A WISE MAN WHO TRIED TO DISOBEY GOD 


147 


they had taken the land of the Amorites and the land of Bashan for 
their own country. He thought, ‘ ‘ They will take my country away 
from me, and they may even kill me.” 

Finally this king, whose name was Balak, decided to send for a 
wise man from Midian to come to help him. So he called some of his 
princes and sent them with this message: “A great host of people 
from Egypt have come into my country and they are too many for me 
toi tight against. I want you to come and help me, for I have heard 
that you are very wise, and that whomever you speak against is made 
weak, and whomever you bless is made strong. ” 

When the princes of Moab came to the wise man, whose name was 
Balaam, they delivered the messages of their king. And no doubt 
they showed Balaam the money that Balak had sent to pay him for 
his services. But Balaam said, “I do not know whether the Lord will 
let me go with you or not. Perhaps he does not want me to speak 
against the Israelites. Stay with me tonight, and in the morning I 
will tell whether I may go or not.” 

During the nighti God spoke to Balaam and asked, “Who are these 
men in your house?” And Balaam answered, “They are princes of 
Moab, who have come at their king’s command to ask me to help him 
out of trouble. The Israelites, from Egypt, have come into his land 
with a strong army and he is afraid of them. He wants me to speak 
against them in your name, so that they will become weak.” Buti God 
said, “You must not go to help the king of Moab. You must not speak 
against the Israelites; for I have blessed them.” 

When morning came Balaam told the princes that God wlould not 
leti him go with them. And they hurried back to tell Balaam’s words 
to the king. 

But Balak sent the second time to Balaam. This time he sent other 
princes, who were greater than the first ones. He sent money also, and 
he promised tio give great honor to Balaam if only he would come to 
help him. 

Now Balaam wished to have the money that Balak sent. He wished 
also to receive the honor that this king promised to give him. As he 
thought about these things he wanted them more than ever. He knew 
God had said he should not go. But he decided to try once more, so 
he invited these princes to stay at his house until the next morning. 
And while they slept he heard God’s voice again. This time God told 
him that if the men should waken him in the morning he might go with 
them. Only he should be careful to speak the words God would give 
him to speak. 


148 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Balaam was eager to go. He did not wait to see whether these 
princes would call for him in the morning, but rose early and saddled 
the ass upon which he often rode.' Then he took two of his servants 
and started out with the princes to see the king. 

But God was displeased with Balaam. He sent his angel to trouble 
him, and the angel stood inj the road and drew out his sword to kill 
Balaam. The ass upon which Balaam was riding saw 1 the angel and 
turned off from the road into a field. Balaam grew angry at this and 
struck her a blow. Back into the road they went, and presently they 
came to a place where a stione wall wias built on either side. Here the 
angel stood again with his sword drawn, and here again the ass saw 
the angel, while Balaam did not. The ass was frightened again and, 
trying to avoid the angel, she crowded closely against the wall on the 
opposite side. In doing this she crushed Balaam’s foot against the 
wall. Now Balaam was quite angry, and he struck her a cruel blow. 

Farther on the road they came to a very narrow place, and here 
the angel stood again. This- time the ass could not pass around, and, 
fearing the angel, she sank down on the ground beneath Balaam. At 
this Balaam’s anger grew worse than ever and he struck a painful 
blow upon his faithful ass with his staff. And God gave a voice to the 
ass, and she spoke to Balaam. ‘ 4 What have I done thati you should 
strike me these three times!” she asked. 

Balaam was so angry he did not think it strange because an ass 
could speak. He replied, “If I had a sword I would kill you, for you 
are not behaving as you should.” Then the ass asked Balaam whether 
she had not always carried him about safely since the day he bought 
her, and Balaam remembered that she had. And then God caused 
Balaam to see the angel standing before him. 

Now Balaam was more frightened than the ass had been. He fell 
down on his face before the angel. And the angel asked, “Why have 
you been beating your ass! Three times she has seen me standing 
across your path and she has turned aside. Had she not done this I 
would surely have killed you, for I am much displeased with you.” 

Balaam cried, i“ I have sinned, for I did not know you were stand- 
ing in the way to hinder me from going to see the king. Now I will 
turn back toward my home if you are displeased with my going on.” 

But the angel told Balaam to go on with the princes of Moab, and 
to be careful to speak only the words of the Lord. 


HOW BALAAM TRIED TO PLEASE THE KING 


149 


STORY 23 

HOW BALAAM TRIED TO PLEASE THE KING 

Hum. 22 : 36-32 : 9 

When Balak heard that Balaam was finally coming, he rushed out 
to meeti him. He asked, “Why did yon not come sooner!” and he told 
Balaam that he would give him a place of honor if only he would help 
in this time of trouble. 

But Balaam answered, “I can not promise to help you even though 
I have come. I can speak only the words that God gives me.” 

Perhaps Balak thought this wise man was trying to get more 
money from him, by talking thus. He did not understand that Balaam 
could speak against people in the name of the Lord only when God 
wished to have him do this. Balak was an idol-worshiper, and he did 
not understand about the true God. 

When Balaam saw all the money which Balak promised to give 
him he wished in his heart that he might please Balak and become a 
rich man. But he remembered the words of the angel, and he said, 4 4 1 
can speak only the words of the Lord.” 

Then the king took Balaam to the top of a mountain, from which 
they could look down upon the plain and see the Israelites ’ camp. And 
Balaam told the king to build seven altars on this mountain and offer 
to the Lord an ox and a sheep upon each of the altars. Balaam may 
have thought that God Would be pleased with Balak ’s offerings and 
would then be willing to let him help Balak. But when B'alaam went 
aside to hear God ’s words, he could hear only words of blessing for the 
Israelites. And he told these words to Balak, in the presence of the 
princes of Moab. 

Now Balak was much displeased with Balaam because he had 
blessed the Israelites instead of speaking against them. He said, 4 4 In- 
stead of helping me you are helping my enemies. ’ ’ But Balaam replied 
again that he could speak only the words, that God gave him. 

Balak thought he would try again. So he took Balaam to another 
place where they could see a part of the Israelites! camp. And here 
again he built seven altars and offered oxen and sheep to the Lord as 
he had done before. Still GodJ would give only words of blessing to 
Balaam to speak about the Israelites. 

When Balak tried the third time, and Balaam still failed to speak 
against Israel, the king became very angry. Hie thought that Balaam 
did not want to help him. He said, 4 4 1 had planned to give you riches 


150 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


and honor, but your God has kept them from you. Now go in haste 
back to your own country. I ami done with you because I see' you are 
not my friend.” And Balaam returned again to his home. 

Although Balaam was careful to speak only the words of the Lord, 
yeti down in his heart he wished he might please the king. Because he 
was a wise man he thought of another way to help Balak. Perhaps 
he thought Balak would still be willing to give him riches and honor. 
He told the king to act friendly toward the Israelites instead of trying 
to fight against them. And the king and all the people of Moab and of 
Midian, Balaam’s country, were glad to do this. 

But making friends with the Moabites and with the Midianites soon 
brought great trouble into Israel ’s camp. The young men of Israel be- 
gan to marry these strange! young women who worshiped other gods. 
And these young women took their husbands to the feasts of their gods 
and many of the Israelites bowed dowin to idols. 

God saw the great danger of the Israelites becoming idolaters, 
like the nations near by, and forgetting him entirely. So he sent a 
plague into their camp, and many of these young people died. Then 
Moses took the men who were leading others into sin and caused them 
tio be killed. After this the Israelites went to war against the Moabites 
and the Midianities and killed many of their people. And Balaam, 
the man who caused the Israelites to sin, was killed in his own land. 
He might have been a good man if he had always tried to please God ; 
but because he loved riches and honor he disobeyed God and finally 
died among the enemies of God’s people. 


STORY 24 

THE LAST JOURNEY OF MOSES’ 

Num. 27 : 12-23 ; Deuteronomy 34 

Moses was now an old, old man. His wonderful life had been di- 
vided into three parts. First he had lived asl Pharaoh’s grandson in 
the palaces of Egypt. Then he had worked as a shepherd in the wil- 
derness. And the last part of his life he had spent among his own 
people, leading them from Egypt to the land that God promised to give 
them for their own. 

And now, although Moses was very old, he still thought of the 
people— Ms people— and he asked God to set some other man before 
them, to lead them after he should die. For God had told him that soon 


THE LAST JOURNEY OF MOSES : ’ 


151 


he must die, as Aaron had died, and as all the old men had died who 
came out of Egypt. 

And God chose a man to take Moses ’ place. This man was Joshua, 
the one who* had been with Moses on Mount Sinai and who had gone as 
one of the twelve spies from Kadesh into Canaan. Then, at God's 
bidding, Moses took J oshua and set him before the high priest, Eleazar, 
and laid his hands upon him and gave him some important work tio do. 
By these acts the people understood 
that Joshua was soon to take up the 
work that Moses had done as their 
leader. 

At this time the Israelites were 
living in the land that they had taken 
from their enemies. This land was 
good for pasture, and the Israelites 
kept many cattle and sheep. The men 
of Reuben ’s tribe and the men of Gad ’s 
tribe were all keepers of cattle. When 
they saw the rich pasture-lands of this 
country, they asked Moses to give them 
homes on this side of the Jordan River 
instead of giving them a part of the 
land in Canaan. At first Moses did not 
want to do this ; but when the men pro^ 
mised to help the other Israelites fight 
against their enemies in Canaan, Moses divided the land for them. He 
gave a part of it to each of these tribes and a part to half of the tribe 
of Manasseh. 

After Moses had divided the country between these tribes, he called 
the people together and told them again about the words of command 
that God spoke to him on Mount Sinai. Hejxfid them many things that 
they needed to know! before they should go into Canaan to* live. He 
wrote all these words in a book called Deuteronomy, which is the fifth 
book in the Old Testament. 

As the people listened to Moses 9 words they knew he was soon go- 
ing to leave them forever. They knew he had been a faithful leader, 
and that he had loved them as dearly as a father loves his own children. 
No doubt they felt sorry because the time was soon coming when he 
could be with them no more. 

Then one day when Moses had ended his long farewell talk with 
the people he walked awayl from his tent and away out -of the camp. 



MOSES LOOKING AT THE 
PROMISED LAND 


152 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


All alone he went, and the people stood w|atching himi through their 
tears. They knew he was going away to die. But first he was going tio 
see the land of Canaan, as God had promised him. Finally he came to 
Mount Nebo. Up and up he climbed over the rocks, and higher he went 
until the watchers on the plain could see him no more. Then he looked 
from the top of that high mountain, and God showed him the country 
where Abraham and where Isaac had lived and died. Whati a beautiful 
country it was! As Moses looked across its wooded hills and green 
valleys he thought of the time soon to come when Joshua should lead 
the Israelites — his people— into that promised land. 

Then God closed the eyes of this faithful old man, and folded his 
hands across his breast and carried his spirit away to a better land 
than Canaan. And God buried Moses somewhere in the plain, but no 
one knew where God had made the grave. 

Thus ended the life of one of the greatest men this world has 
known, the only man who ever talked face to face with God and whose 
face shone with God’s glory. And for thirty days the Israelites 
mourned and wept because their great leader had been taken away from 
them. 


HOW A WOMAN SPOILED THE PLAN OF A KING 153 


PART THIRD 

STORIES ABOUT JOSHUA AND THE 
JUDGES OF ISRAEL 

JosIvim; Judges; Ruth; 1 Samuel 1 — 9 


STORY 1 

HOW A WOMAN SPOILED THE PLAN OF A WICKED KING 

J oshua 1, 2 

On the other side of the J ordan River and several miles from; the 
Israelites ’ camp stood r a large city called Jericho. A high wall had 
been built around this city to keep out the enemies of the many people 
who lived there. A gate had been made in this wall through which the 
people of Jericho might go out of and come into the city. 

When the Israelites first made their camp near the Jordan River, 
the people of Jericho heard about it. And they became afraid. They 
had heard long before this time about the Israelites. Some one had 
told them how God led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the 
Red Sea. Some one had told them how God helped the Israelites fight 
against their enemies, and how the Israelites captured the cities and 
lands of their enemies. And the people of Jericho trembled when they 
heard these things. They wiere wicked people, and their king was a 
wicked ruler. They' did not serve the wonderful God of the Israelites; 
and now they were afraid thati the Jsraelites would cross over the Jor- 
dan River into Canaan, and take their city away from them. 

After Moses died, God spoke to Joshua and told him to lead the 
Israelites into the land of Canaan. While the people were getting ready 
to start, Joshua sent two mien across the River to visiti Jericho and 
learn all they could about that city. Because Jericho was such a large 
city, Joshua believed that the Israelites would need to capture it before 
they could go farther into Canaan. 

When the two spies came* to Jericho, they found the gate standing 
open, so they walked in. They came to a house where a woman lived 
whose name was Rahab. While they talked with her, some one hurried 
to tell the king of Jericho that two strange men had come inside the 


154 


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citiy and were stopping at Rahab ’s house. They believed these men 
were from the camp of Israel. 

The king of Jericho said, “ These men are spies, and they have 
come to see how strong our city is. They wlill do mischief to us if they 



THE RIVER JORDAN 


return to their people. We must find them and kill them.” So the king 
sent his officers to Rahab ’s house to capture the spies. 

When the officers came they could not find the men at all. Rahab 
had hidden them on the flat roof of her house by piling stalks of flax 
on top of them. Then the officers believed that possibly the spies had 
started back to the camp of Israel, so they hurried out of the gate and 
ran toward the River tio overtake them and kill them. Then when they 
passed out of the gate, the people of Jericho closed the gate so that no 
more spies might come inside their city. And so these two spies were 
made prisoners at Rahab ’s house. They could not get out of the city. 



HOW THE ISRAELITES CROSSED OVER A RIVER 155 


Buti Rahab spoke kindly to the men. She said, “We know your God 
is helping you, and we know you are going to take our country and our 
city. I will make a way for you to return to your people safely, if you 
will promise to remember my kindness when you come with your great 
army to take Jericho. If you will promise to save me and my family 
alive, I will help you to get outside of this wall. ,, 

Because Rahab had faith to believe in Israel’s God, the spies prom- 
ised tio save her and her family alive. Then she took them to a window 
of her house, which opened outside the city and above the wall. She 
told them to hide in the mountains near by for three days, because the 
officers of the king would be looking for them. Before they, went away 
to hide in the mountains, the spies told Rahab to leave a cord hanging 
from her window, so the Israelites might know where to find her house, 
and then they would save her alive. Then she let them down by a cord 
to the ground outside the wall. And Rahab tied a cord, which was of 
scarlet color, to the window-frame. 

After three days the spies returned safely to Joshua, and told him 
about all that had happened to them. And tihey said, “Surely God 
has given that beautiful country to us; for the people are afraid of 
us, and they are too weak to fight against us and drive us out of their 
land.” 


STORY 2 

HOW THE ISRAELITES CROSSED OVER A DANGEROUS RIVER 

Josh. 3 : 1-5 

It was early morning in the Israelites’ camp. The tfwo spies had 
returned safely from Jericho, and now] all the people were ready and 
waiting to start on their last march toward the promised land. Joshua, 
their new leader, was brave ; for God had spoken encouraging words to 
him. He knew the time had come to move forward, so he gave the 
command. Then the priestis carrying the ark and the Levites carry- 
ing the pieces of the tabernacle led the way, and all the people fol- 
lowed. 

But the Israelites did not go very far that day. When they came 
to Jordan they found a flood of water sweeping down the river and 
overflowing its banks. They could look across to the green hills and 
beautiful fields in Canaan, but the river was too deep and the waters 
too swift for themi to wade through. So the people stopped their 
march and made ready to wait until the overflow waters should pass by. 


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BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Perhaps the people of Jericho' knew about the overflow of the 
Jordan River, and perhaps they thought, “We shall be safe from the 
Israelites as long as the waters rush sol wildly down that stream; for 
surely our enemies will not try to cross over such a dangerous river.” 

But after three days’ waiting, God spoke again to Joshua and 
said, “Go forward!” even though the waters were still deep and the 
current swift and strong. God wanted to show his power once more to 
his people. And the people were ready to obey Joshua’s command. 
When the priests who carried the ark stepped bravely into the edge 

of the water, a wonderful thing hap- 
pened. God stopped the water far 
up stream so that it could not flow. 
Instead, it piled up into a great 
heap. Then all the water flowed out 
of the river’s bed where the Israel- 
ites were waiting to cross over, and 
the people walked across to Canaan 
on dry ground. 

God wanted the Israelites al- 
ways to remember how he had 
helped them to cross the Jordan, so 
he commanded that one man from 
each of the twelve tribes should pick 
up a large stone from the bed of the 
river where they crossed over and 
carry that stone to their next camp- 
ing-place. Then these men should pile the twelve stones into a heap, 
to remind the Israelites of how God showed his power at the Jordan. 
And Joshua made another heap of twelve stones at the place where 
the priests had stood with the ark, in the middle of the river, while 
the people passed by. 

After this had been done, the priests carried the ark to Canaan’s 
side of the river, and then when all the priests and all the people had 
crossed in safety God caused the waters to flow down the stream just 
as they had flowed before. 

Soon the people who lived in Jericho and all their neighbors who 
lived in other parts of Canaan heard that! the Israelites had come into 
their land. They heard that God had dried up the Jordan River, when 
its waters were overflowing the banks, to let the Israelites cross over. 
And all the people in Canaan trembled because they were afraid of the 
Israelites, who served such a mighty God. 



ISRAELITES CROSSING THROUGH 
THE JORDAN RIVER 


WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WALLS OF JERICHO 157 

On the plains near Jericho the Israelites made their camp. They 
called the name of their camp ‘ i Gilgal. ’ ’ And they Went out into* the 
fields around Jericho and gathered grain for food. Many of them had 
been horn in the wilderness and had never eaten grain for food before. 
They found fruits also, and they enjoyed eatingl the good things that 
grew in Canaan. 

Until this time God had been sending fresh manna from heaven 
every day, except on the seventh day. For forty years the people had 
been eating this wonderful iruanna. But now the time had come when 
they would not need to be fed from heaven any more, for they were 
come into a good land, where plenty of grain and fruit and vegetables 
grow. So no more manna fell. 


STORY 3 

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STONE WALLS OF JERICHO 

Josh. 5:13-6:27 

One day after the Israelites had made their camp at Gilgal, Joshua 
went out to see the city of Jericho for himself. As he looked at the 
great stone Wall that surrounded the city, perhaps he Wondered how 
his army could ever force its way in. The gate was tightly locked, he 
knew; for the people of Jericho were expecting the Israelites to fight 
against them, and they were afraid to go outside the city Wall. 

Presently Joshua saw a strange man standing near by. This stran- 
ger was dressed like a soldier and he carried a bright sword in his hand. 
He, too, had been looking toward Jericho, and Joshua wondered whether 
he was a friend or an enemy of the people who lived there. So he 
asked, “Are you a friend of the people of Jericho or a friend of the 
Israelites ?” The stranger answered, “I am Captain of the Lord’s 
army. ’ ’ 

Then Joshua was glad, for he knew that God would help him cap- 
ture the city of Jericho. He believed this Captain of the Lord’s army 
had come to lead the Israelites to their battle against their enemies. 
So he bowed doWn to the ground and worshiped before this mighty 
Captain. Then the Captain commanded him to take off his shoes be- 
cause the ground where he stood was made holy by the presence of 
this holy One from heaven. Joshua quickly removed his shoes, just as 
Moses had done before the burning bush, at Mount Horeb. 

The Captain of the Lord’s army told Joshua! how the Israelites 


158 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 



JERICHO’S WALLS FALLING DOWN 

about his visit, with the Captain of the Lord's army. And all the peo- 
ple were ready to obey the orders which this mighty Captain had given. 
Perhaps on the very next day the Israelites began their attack. They 
did not expect toj gain the victory on that first day, nor on the next; 
for the Lord had commanded them to go out every day for one whole 
week and march around the city. 

When the people of Jericho looked out of the windows of their 
tallest buildings they saw a host) of soldiers marching around their city. 
Just behind the soldiers seven priests walked along, blowing ram’s 


should make an attack against Jericho. And he told how God would 
give a great victory to the Israelites if they would carefullyi obey his 
orders. Then he went away, and Joshua did not see him again. But 
Joshua knew now how to lead his army through the great stone wall of 
Jericho, and he was glad. 

When Joshua returned to the camp at Gilgal he told the people 


WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WALLS OF JERICHO 159 


horns. And behind the seven priests came other priests carrying a 
strange-looking burden wrapped so securely that the people of Jericho 



could not even guess what might be inside. But the Israelites knew this 
burden was the ark of the covenant, which belonged to the tabernacle. 
And the people of Israel followed behind the priests who carried the 
ark. Every one walked quietly along, making no noise except with the 


160 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


tread of his feet upon the ground. Once around the great stone wall 
they marched, and then they quietly returned to their camp at Gilgal. 

“What can this mean?” the people of Jericho wondered. “We 
can not understand those Israelites. They do not light like other men. ’ ’ 

The next day again they saw the strange march around their city. 
And again on the third day, and on the fourth day, and on every day 
of the week. Finally they may have supposed the Israelites were only 
trying to make them afraid. But Rahab believed the Israelites were 
surely going to capture Jericho. She called her father and mother and 
brothers and sisters into her house. a And together they looked out of 
the window where the scarlet cord hung, and together they watched the 
strange actions of the people who worshiped the true God. 

On the seventh day the Israelites marched seven times around 
the wall of Jericho. On that morning they had risen early and pre- 
pared for their long mlarch. They knew the day for victory had come. 
At the end of the seventh march around the great wall the Israelites 
stood still. They did not turn toward the camp at Gilgal, as on other 
days, hut now every one looked toward the wall. Then the priests blew 
loudly with their trumpets and all the people shouted with a great noise. 
At that moment the stone wall began to tremble, then it shook, and then 
fell down flat. What a great miracle ! The Israelites knew God had 
caused the wall to tumble, because they had not even touched it. But 
they had obeyed God. 

Joshua sent the two spies to bring Rahab and her family out’ 1 of 
the city to a safe place. Then the soldiers of Israel climbed over the 
broken wall and killed all the wicked people and their wicked king. 
They took all the gold and all the silver that they found in Jericho, 
and every dish that was made of iron or of brass. These things they 
brought to the tabernacle at Gilgal; for God had commanded that no 
man should save anything for himself. Then the soldiers set the 
ruined city on fire, and Jericho was burned to ashes. In this way God 
gave a great victory to his obedient people. 


A STORY ABOUT A BURIED SIN 


161 


STORY 4 

THE STORY ABOUT A BURIED SIN 

JOSHUA 7, 8 

The Israelites were very happy about their victory at Jericho. 
From their tents at Gilgal they could see the smoke rising abov'e the 
ruins of the burning city. They knew God had given them this great 
victory, and they brought the gold and silver and iron and brass which 
they found in Jericho and placed iti in the tabernacle at Gilgal. These 
treasures belonged to God. 

While the people were rejoicing about their victory and about the 
riches that they had brought to the tabernacle, one man among them 
was uneasy. He tried to act as cheerfully as his neighbors acted, but 
all the while he did not feel cheerful. No one who is trying to cover up 
a wrong deed can feel cheerful. And Achan, for this was the man’s 
name, was trying to hide his sin. Indeed he had buried it out of sight 
down in the ground beneath his tent floor. No one except his sons and 
his daughters knew abouti that buried sin— so Achan supposed. And 
his sons and his daughters had promised never to tell. None of the 
Israelites knew that anything was lying hidden in the ground under 
the floor of Achan ’s tent. 

But God knew all about that buried sin. And God was very much 
displeased with Achan. He had commanded that no one should keep 
anything from the ruins at Jericho. And Achan knew about that com- 
mand. Yet when he saw a very beautiful garment in one of the houses 
of Jericho, he thought, “This garment is too beautiful to be burned 
up with this city. I will keep it for myself. No one need know where 
I got it. ’ ’ Then he saw some silver and a shining piece of gold. These 
he also wanted for himself, so he wrapped them carefully together and 
brought them to his own tent-home. There he dug down into the ground 
beneath his floor and buried his stolen treasure. No wonder Achan did 
not feel happy! 

Soon after the* victory at Jericho, the Israelites made an attack 
against another city. This second city was called Ai, and it stood on 
top of a hill. The spies whom Joshua had sent to' Ai capie back safely 
and told their brave leader that only a few soldiers would need to fight 
against that city, because it was not nearly so large and strong as J eri- 
cho had been. 

This time only about three thousand men went outi to battle. But 
they had not been gone long when they came hurrying back, not to tell 


162 


BIBLE-STOKY BOOK 


about another great victory— oh, no!— for their enemies had chased 
them away and had even killed a few of their brave men. 

When Joshua heard the sad news he tore his clothes and fell down 
on the ground before the ark of the covenant. He thought God had 
left him alone to tight with the Israelites against their many enemies. 
And now all the men of Israel were frightened because the men of Ai 
had been stronger than they. Joshua prayed and asked God why this 

trouble had happened. And God said, 
‘ ‘ I can not help the Israelites when they 
allow sin to lie covered up in their camp. 
I strictly commanded that no one 
should take anything for himself from 
Jericho, and some one has dared to dis- 
obey. If you will destroy that wicked 
person, I will help you again to drive 
your enemies away.” 

The next day J os'hua searched for 
the man Who had disobeyed God at Jeri- 
cho. And in the tribe of Judah he found 
the guilty man. He took Achan and his 
sons and his daughters and brought 
them to a valley outside of the camp. 
There the Israelites threw stones at them 
and killed them and burned them up. 
And everything that belonged to Achan, 
and the stolen treasures which he had hidden away they brought out 
to this valley and burned to ashes. Then they piled a heap of stones 
above the ashes, that every one seeing the heap might remember how 
God punished the man who tried to hide his sin. 

After this God spoke to Joshua again and said, “Do not be afraid 
of your enemies at Ai, for I will go with you. Take a small army as 
before, but first send other men by night to hide in the woods behind 
Ai. When the king of Ai and his soldiers shall see you coming with 
a few men, they will rush out to drive you away as they did the first 
time. Then your men who are hiding behind the city can enter the gate 
and burn the city while the king and his soldiers are gone to chase you 
away. ’ ’ 

Joshua was careful to obey the words of the Lord, and when the 
king of Ai and his soldiers came running out of the city to drive the 
Israelites down the hill and away toward their camp at Gilgal, Joshua 
.raised his spear high in the air. The men who were hiding behind Ai 



THE ALTAR WHERE GOD’S LAW WAS WRITTEN 163 


then came out of their hiding-place and entered the city and set fire 
to it. But Joshua’s men ran away as if they were frightened, and the 
king of Ai and his soldiers followed them. Perhaps they thought!, 
“What cowardly men these Israelites are!” But when they turned to 
go hack home they saw that J oshua had caught them in a trap, for their 
home was burning behind them. And another army of Israelites was 
coming from the smoking ruins of their home city. So the people of 
Ai were destroyed, and all their gold and silver and entitle were taken 
by the Israelites. And God let the Israelites keep these riches for them- 
selves. 


STORY 5 

THE ALTAR WHERE GOD’S LAW WAS WRITTEN UPON STONE 

Deuteronomy 27, 28; Josh. 8:30-35 

After the victory at Ai, Joshua led the Israelites farther north into 
the land of Canaan, to a place where Abraham had long years before 
this time built an altar to worship God. Moses had commanded Joshua 
to bring the Israelites to this very spot, and tio build an altar there of 
unbroken stones, and to offer sacrifices to God upon this altar. And 
now, although Moses was dead, Joshua was careful to do just as he had 
promised. 

All the men of Israel, and all the women, and all the boys and girls 
went with Joshua to this chosen place. They found a beautiful val- 
ley, shaped like a bowl, lying between two mountains— Mount Ebal 
on the north and Mount Gerizim on the south. Moses had commanded 
that six of the tribes, or one half of the people of Israel, should stand 
upon the slope of one of these mountains, and that the six remaining 
tribes should stand upon the other mountain-slope. Then, in the valley 
between, Joshua and the Levites should build the altar and offer sacri- 
fices to- God. After this the priests and the Levites should take the 
book in which Moses had written the laws of God and read aloud in the 
hearing of all the people. And they should hear again the words of the 
Lord which Moses had spoken to them and which they had promised 
to obey. 

When the priestis and the Levites read about the blessings which 
God promised to give to the Israelites if they should always obey him, 
the tribes on the mountain-slope of Gerizim shouted, “Amen!” And 
their voices rang out across the valley to the people who stood on the 


164 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


other mountain-slope. And when the priests and the Levites read 
about the curses, or the troubles, which should come upon the Israelites 
if they should refuse to obey God ’s words, the people on the mountain- 
slope of Ebal shouted, “Amen!” And their voices echoed back from 
the other 1 mountain-side. By saying amen to the words of God’s law 
the Israelites meant, “Let it be so.” 

What a wonderful meeting this must have been! And after the 
words of the law of God were read aloud to the people, so plainly that 
even the children understood them, those words were written upon 
stones where every one might read them. And those stones were left 
in the valley betwleen the mountains ; but the people returned again 
with Joshua and the priests and the Levites to their camp at Gilgal. 


STORY 6 

THE PEOPLE WHO FOOLED JOSHUA 

Josh. 9:3-27 

One day a band of strange men came to the camp at Gilgal. Their 
clothes were nearly worn out and their shoes were full of holes. Their 
donkeys carried on their backs old sacks that were ready to fall in 
pieces. Even the skin bottles, which these men had used for carrying 
wine, were old and torn. And the little bit of bread that remained in 
their sacks was dry and moldy. 

These strange men asked to speak with Joshua and with his offi- 
cers, or princes. They said they had come from a country very far 
away, and that their people wished to be friends with the Israelites. 
But the men of Israel answered, “We do not know who you are. You 
may live here in Canaan, and we can not be friends with these people 
of Canaan because God has told us to destroy them all. ’ ’ The men then 
showed their moldy bread and said, “See, we brought this for our jour- 
ney and it was hot when we took it from our homes. We are indeed 
from a far country. When we heard how your God brought you from 
Egypt and helped you to destroy your enemies, our people became 
afraid of you and they sent us to ask you to let us live and become your 
servants.” 

Joshua listened to these men. When he saw their worn-out shoes 
and their dry, moldy bread, he thought, 4 ‘ Surely they have come a long 
way.” He felt sorry for them. He believed they Were poor people 
and that they could do no harm to Israel.” Instead of talking to God 


WHY JOSHUA SPOKE TO THE SUN AND MOON 165 


about these people and asking wliat to do, Joshua promised to let them 
live, and sent them back again to- their homes. 

After this had happened the Israelite soldiers went out again to 
battle against the people of Canaan. They had noti gone very far when 
they came to the part of the land where the Gibeonites lived. Then 
they learned that the strange visitors at Gilgal had come from Gibeon. 
They were near neighbors to the Israelites. They had taken dry, moldy 
bread and worn-out shoes on purpose to make Joshua and the princes 
of Israel believe they had come from a country far awlay. But really, 
they were C'ana unites— people whom God wanted the Israelites to 
destroy. 

Now, it would be wrong for the Israelites to fight againsti the peo- 
ple they had promised to let live. God would not help them fight if they 
were breaking their word. The men of Israel were angry because they 
had been fooled. J oshua sent for the men who had come to Gilgal, and 
asked, 4 ‘Why did you not tell us the truth V 9 The men answered, 
“When we saw what happened to Jericho and to Ai we were afraid. 
We knew you Would not promise to let us live if you knew we were near 
neighbors, so we acted as though we had come a long distance. ’ ’ 

Joshua said, “Because you did not speak true words to us, you 
and your people can never again own your houses and lands. Now you 
must be our slaves and do the things we tell you to do. Every day you 
musti gather wood and bring it to the people, and every day you must 
carry water for us.” 

Although the Gibeonites had to work hard to chop wood and to 
carry water, yet they were glad because they were allowed to live in 
Canaan. They thought it was better to become servants of the Israel- 
ites than to be killed by them. 


STORY 7 

WHY JOSHUA SPOKE TO THE SUN AND TO THE MOON 

Joshua 10 — 12 

Not far from the place where Jericho had stood was another large 
city. The name of this city wlas Jerusalem. The people who lived here 
were wicked, and they were ruled by a wicked king. Other cities ruled 
by other wicked kings were south and west and north of Jerusalem. 

After the Gibeonites became servants of the Israelites, the kings 
of Canaan felt angry toward them. The king of Jerusalem called four 


166 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


other kings and said, “Let us make war against the Gibeonites. ’ ’ So 
they gathered their armies together and marched across the hills and 
valleys toward the place where the Gibeonites lived. 

When the Gibeonites heard that a great army was coming to fight 
against them they were afraid. They sent a messenger to the camp at 
Gilgal and asked Joshua to come with his soldiers to help them. Be- 
cause they were servants of the Israelites, Joshua started quickly with 
his army. All night they marched from Gilgal to Gibeon, and the next 
morning the five kings were greatly surprized to see the Israelites com- 
ing out to fight against them; with the Gibeonites. 

J oshua was a brave leader, and his soldiers were brave. God had 
told them to be brave, because he would help them to gain the victory. 
The soldiers from Jerusalem and from the other four cities had heard 
about God ’s power at Jericho, and they were afraid. Yet they fought; 
but soon they turned to run away. Then God sent hailstones from the 
skv and they fell upon the frightened men who- were running and killed 
many more than had been killed in the battle. The five kings found a 
cave in the mountains and they ran into it to hide. But some one saw 
them, and sent word to Joshua. Joshua commanded that heavy stones 
should be rolled before the door of the cave and that soldiers should 
watch to see that the kings did not escape from this prison. Then the 
Israelite soldiers chased their enemies over the hills and through the 
valleys of Canaan. They did not want to let one of them get away. 

When Joshua saw that the people were scattering everywhere, he 
thought many of the enemies might hide in the woods when night came 
on. Then they could come out again and fight against the Israelites. 
Joshua believed God wanted him and his soldiers to completely destroy 
these enemies and not give them another chance to fight. He knew the 
day would not be long enough to destroy them all, so he spoke to the 
sun and to the moon and commanded them to stand still. And while the 
sun and the moon stood still, the Israelites fought and gained a great 
victory. No day like that one had ever been before that tiime, nor has 
there been one since, when God listened to a man’s voice and caused the 
sun to stand still in the sky while his people fought against their ene- 
mies. 

After this great victory the five kings were taken out of the cave 
and killed. Then they were buried together in the cave and stones were 
piled in front of the door. 

News of this battle soon reached the other cities of Canaan, and 
everywhere the people were afraid of the Israelites. Joshua felt sure 
God was pleased with him, and he marched on to other places and 


HOW CANAAN B|ECAME THE LAND OF ISRAEL 167 


gained other victories. One by one he took the cities of Canaan until 
he had destroyed thirty-one kings and had taken the cities and country 
places where they ruled. Then the Israelites rested from war, in their 
camp at Gilgal. 


STORY 8 

HOW THE LAND OF CANAAN BECAME THE LAND OF ISRAEL 

Joshua 13—19 

After the Israelites had destroyed thirty-one kings in Canaan, they 
rested from war, in their camp at Gilgal. Joshua was growing too old 
to lead them out to battle any more, and there were no enemies near by 
to harm them. They had not yet destroyed all the wicked people who 
lived in Canaan, but they had taken much of the beautiful land to call 
their own. 

But 'God was not pleased to have the Israelites quit fighting while 
the people of Canaan still lived in the land. He had promised to give 
all the land of Canaan to the Israelites, not just a part of it. And he 
was ready to help them drive out all of their enemies. He wanted them 
to fight until the land should bel no longer a home for any people who 
worshiped idols. So he spoke to Joshua and said, “You are growing 
too old to fight; but the land is not yet fully taken from your enemies. 
Now, I want you to divide this country among the twelve tribes of 
Israel and give each tribe a part to call its home country. Then let 
the tribes each drive out all the wicked people who live in the part of 
the country that is given to it. ’ ’ 

Joshua and the high priest, Eleazar, and the old men from each of 
the tribes divided the land of Canaan as; God told them to do. You 
remember that two and one half of the tribes had already tiaken land 
for their homes on the east side of the Jordan River; so only nine and 
one half of the tribes took this land of Canaan for their part of the 
promised land. After this time the land of Canaan was called tihe land 
of Israel. But there were still in this land cities where the Canaanite 
people lived. 

One day the rulers of the tribe of Judah came to see Joshua at his 
tent in Gilgal. With them came an old man named Caleb. You will 
remember that Caleb was one of the two faithful spies whom) Moses 
sent into Canaan with ten other men more than forty years before 
this time. Although Caleb was now eighty-five years old, he was as 
strong and brave as he had been when a young man. And now he came 


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to ask J oshua, for the piece of land that Moses promised should be given 
to him when the Israelites should enter Canaan to live there. 

Joshua was glad to see Caleb. He remembered how faithful and 
true to God this old soldier had been when the ten spies brought a 
wrong report from the promised land. He remembered how Caleb 
had tried to quiet the people when they were crying for fear of the 
giantis who lived in Canaan. And now he was ready to give Caleb any 
part of Canaan that this faithful old man might ask for. 

There were beautiful valleys near Gilgal where the enemies had 
been driven away, and where green fields and fruit-trees were growing. 
But Caleb did not look at these places. He remembered the mountain- 
country where he and the other] spies had seen walled cities and tall 
giants. Those same cities still stood on the mountain-sides, and the 
sons of those tall giants still lived in them. Caleb said, “Give me the 
mountain where we saw those giants, and the cities where the giants 
live. Although I am now) an old man, yet if God is with me I shall 
be able to drive out those giants and take their cities.’ ’ Brave old 
Caleb! 

How happy Joshua felt when he saw the courage and the faith of 
his old friend ! He spoke words of blessing to Caleb and then gave him 
the mountain-country and the city of Hebron where the giants were 
then living. And God helped! Caleb to drive those giants out of the 
city and chase them away to the land of their enemies who lived by the 
seashore. Afterwards Caleb and his sons and his daughters and others 
of their relatives went to live in Hebron. 

The tabernacle had stood at Gilgal ever since the Israelites had 
crossed the Jordan River. Now the time came for it to be moved again. 
This time it was taken to a place called Shiloh, and here it stayed for 
many long years. This place was nearer to the center of the land of 
Israel, and all the people of Israel were commanded to come to Shiloh 
three tiimes every year to worship God at the tabernacle. These three 
times were the times which God had chosen for the people to keep the 
feasts. First was the Passover feast, when they were to kill and eat 
a lamb as their fathers had done before they left Egypt; nexti was the 
Feast of Pentecost, fifty days after the Passover feast, when the peo- 
ple* were to bring the first ripe fruits from their fields and lay them 
on the altar; and last was the Feast of Tabernacles, when the people 
were to gather together at Shiloh and build huts of the boughs of 
trees and sleep out-of-doors,, in these huts, to keep in mind the long 
years when they lived in tents in the wilderness. 

Although the people of the twelve tribes went away to* live in 


HOW GOT) USED SOME CITIES IN ISRAEL 


169 


different parts of the land of Israel, yet some of the priests and some 
of the Levites stayed at Shiloh all the time and kept the tabernacle wor- 
ship just as God had told themi to do when he gave them the plan for 
this holy place. 


STORY 9 

HOW GOD PLANNED TO USE SOME CITIES IN THE LAND 

OF ISRAEL 

Joshua, 20, 21 

When the Israelites went away from the camp at Gilgal to live in 
different parts of the promised land, they had no Bibles to take with 
them. They had no tabernacle near by, and no longer could they see 
the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night to remind them of the 
nearness of God. It would seem that they might soon forget about God. 

But God knew how much these people would need to be reminded 
of him. So he planned a way for them to keep his words always in 
mind. He planned to have some of the Levites go with them to every 
part of the land. 

The Levites, you remember, were chosen to care for the worship 
of God at the tabernacle. And they became teachers of the law of God. 
Only a part of them Were needed at one time to serve in the tabernacle 
worship at Shiloh. And so they changed about; for there were many 
Levites. Those who were not serving at the tabernacle went home to 
their families, who lived in the cities throughout the land. There they 
could teach the Israelites about God’s law. 

Forty-eight cities were given to the Levites ten live in. And the 
fields outside the walls of these cities were given to them for pasture- 
lands. Then while the other Israelites lived in the country round about, 
the Levites were always near to remind them of the law that God gave 
to Moses. 

And God told Joshua to choose six cities to be called “cities of 
refuge.” By “cities of refuge” he meant that any person who had 
killed some one by accident might run to these cities and be safe. The 
Israelites had always believed it was right for the relatives of the 
dead man to kill the slayer, even though that person had not meant to 
do the wrong deed. But God’s plan was to punish Wrong-doers only 
when such persons did wrong on purpose. 

The cities of refuge stood on high hills, and could be seen from 
a distance. When once a man who was running for his life should 


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reach the gate of such a city he would be safe. The gate-keeper would 
let him' pass in, but would not allow the man following him to enter. 
Then the slayer would be questioned; and! if it were found out that 


STORY 10 

THE STORY OF THE ALTAR BESIDE THE JORDAN RIVER 

Joshua 22 

It was a busy time at Shiloh when the Israelites made ready to go 
away to their own homes in different parts of the promised land. The 


he had purposely killed another he would be taken outside the city 
and given to those who were trying to take his life. But if he had done 
the wrong deed accidently, then he would be kept safely inside the gate. 
This was the rule of the cities of refuge. 


SAFELY BEACHING A CITY OF REFUGE 


THE ALTAR BESIDE THE JORDAN RIVER 


171 


tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin moved toward the south coun- 
try from Shiloh, while the tribes of Asher, and Zebulun, and Naphtali, 
and Issachar, and one half of the tribe of Manasseh moved toward 
the north country. The tribe of Dan journeyed westi from Shiloh, and 
the tribe of Ephraim stayed in the valleys near the tabernacle. You 
remember that before Moses died he gave the land east of the Jordan 
River to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and one half of the tribe of 
Manasseh. Now at last all of the twelve tribes had been given parts 
of the promised land in which to build their houses and plant gardens 
and be really at home. 

And you remember, too, that the men from the tribes east of the 
Jordan River had come into Canaan with the other tribes to help 
drive out their enemies. Now they were ready to return again to their 
wives and children ; for the grea.t battles had been fought and many of 
the enemies had been driven away or killed. Before they started away 
from Shiloh, Joshua called them to his tent to talk with them. He 
thanked them for helping in the battles that the Israelites fought in 
Canaan. He said, “Now you may return to your own land, which 
Moses gave to you before he died. But when you go away across the 
River, do not forget the commandments of God, which you promised 
to obey. Do not forget the laws which Moses gave to all the Israelites.” 

Joshua sent Levites with these men to live in their cities and to 
remind them of God ’s law. And he gave the men a part of all the gold 
and silver and iron and brass and a part of all the cattle that the 
Israelites had taken from their enemies. 

When these soldiers came to the River Jordan and looked across 
to their own country on the other side, they thought, “This river 
divides our land from the rest of the land of Israel. Buti we will not 
let this river cut us off from the worship of the true God at Shiloh.” 
So they built on the high banks of the river an altar like the one on 
which the priests offered burnt sacrifices to God at Shiloh. Then they 
marched on to their own homes. 

Now God had commanded the Israelites to offer sacrifices on no 
altar except the one at the tabernacle. And when the men of the other 
tribes of Israel heard about the new altar that had been built on the 
bank of the Jordan River, they felt angry. They believed the men on 
the east side of the river were trying to worship God in their own 
land instead of coming to the tabernacle at Shiloh. They remembered 
how God had punished all the people when only a part of them had 
sinned, and now they wlere afraid that God would allow some trouble 
to happen to them because those men had built a new altar. So they 


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gathered together and planned to cross the river and fight against 
those men who dared to disobey God’s word. 

Then these angry men thought, “ Perhaps we had better ask those ., 
other tribes why they built that new altar before we go out to fight 
against therm” So they chose Phinehas, the son of the high priest, 
and ten princes of Israel to go on this errand. 

The men on the east side of the river were surprized when they 
saw Phinehas and the ten princes of Israel coming tio see them so soon 
after they had left Shiloh. And they were more surprized when they 
learned why these men had come. They said, “We do not intend to 
worship God on this altar which we built by the river. Neither will 
our children offer sacrifices on it after we die. But We built iti because 
we were afraid that the time might come some day when your children 
would not want to allow our children to come to Shiloh to worship the 
true God at the tabernacle. Then our children could show your chil- 
dren this altar, and your children could see that it is built like the altar 
at the tabernacle. They will understand that these tribes east of the 
river have a share in the worship of the true God at Shiloh . 9 9 

Phinehas and the ten princes were pleased when they heard these 
words. They hurried back to Shiloh and told the people why the altar 
had been built by the river. And all the people were glad, because 
they knew that the tribes on the other side of Jordan would not try 
to be different from them, but that thev would keep on serving the true 
God. 

After this had happened the men went back again to their homes 
in the other parts of Canaan. But Joshua lived at Shiloh, for he 
belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. Now the tribe of Ephraim and the 
tribe of Manasseh were both descended from Joseph, the son of Jacob, 
who was called Israel. And the men of these tribes had carried the 
stone coffin of their father Joseph all the way from Egypt because he 
had asked the Israelites before he died to bury him in the land of 
Canaan. Now at last they buried his coffin at a place called Shechem, 
not far from Shiloh, near the fields where in that long-ago time his 
brothers were keeping their cattle when they sold him into Egypt. 


JOSHUA’S LAST MEETING- WITH THE ISRAELITES 173 


STORY 11 

JOSHUA’S LAST MEETING WITH THE ISRAELITES 

Joshua 23, 24 

A long time after the Israelites had gone away from Shiloh to 
live in different parts of Canaan, Joshua senti word to them and asked 
them to come together again. He wanted to talk with them once more 
before he should die. And the people from every tribe came together 
at Shechem, a place not far from Shiloh, and listened to the words of 
Joshua. 

This brave old man knew that, soon his days on earth would be 
ended; for he was one hundred and ten years old. He knew he could 
no longer help the Israelites in their battles against the wicked people 
who yet lived in the land. But he knew that God would he willing to 
help them even after he should die. So he talked to the Israelites 
abouti the wonderful victories that God had given to them when they 
obeyed him. 

The people had never refused to obey Joshua as their fathers 
had refused to obey Moses. And God had blessed them because they 
were obedient. Now Joshua said: “You remember the good prom- 
ises that God gave to you before you crossed the Jordan Elver and 
came into this land. And you see now how God has kept every one 
of those promises, how he has given you every good thing that he 
said he would give if you obeyed him. You know how he drove your 
enemies out of the cities and out of the country places, and caused 
them to leave their riches for you to enjoy. Now,” said Joshua, “you 
see how he has blessed you because you worshiped him. But if you 
turn away from him and worship other gods, he will send the great 
troubles upon you as he said.” 

Joshua then talked to the people about the things that had hap- 
pened to them and to their fathers before them. He even told, them 
about Abraham, and about Abraham’s sons, how God had led those 
old men through the very land the Israelites Were now calling their 
own country. He spoke about! the sons of Israel, who Was first called 
Jacob. He told how those sons went down to Egypt and lived there for 
many years. Then he told how God chose Moses to lead the children 
of Israel out of Egypt’s bondage to the beautiful land of Canaan. He 
reminded the people of the wonderful things thati God did for the 
Israelites while he was leading them through the wilderness. 

Joshua wanted the people to understand lxow mluch they had been 


174 


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helped by God. He wanted them to see how good the Lord had been 
to them. Then at last) he said*, “ Today yon must choose whether yon 
will keep on serving this God who has led yoh all these years, or 
whether you will serve the gods of the Oanaanites.” And all the people 
answered, “We will serve the Lord. ,, 

Then Joshua, told the people that they must not keep in their 
homes any idols like their Wicked neighbors kepti; for if they should, 
God would not bless them. He said, “You must choose between the 
true God and these idols. Whichever you choose, I and my house will 
serve the true God.” And all the people promised to keep on obeying 
the words of the Lord. 

Joshua knew he would soon die, and he wished to remind the Israel- 
ites of this their promise in the years to come, when he could no longer 

be ,with them. So he set up a great 
stone under an oak-tree at Shechem, 
and whenever the people saw that 
stone they remembered the promise 
they had made to faithful old Joshua. 

Soon after this meeting Joshua 
died, and the Israelites buried him 
on a hillside near his -home. By and 
by the high priest, Eleazar, also died, 
and the Israelites buried him in the 
land of Elphraim. Then they made 
Phinehas, his son, to be high priest 
in i his place. And they served the 
Lord as long as the old men lived 
who had known Joshua and who had seen the wonderful power of 
God. 


STORY 12 

HOW GOD HELPED THE ISRAELITES OUT OF THEIR TROUBLES 

Judg. 1 : 1—3 : 14 

After Joshua was dead, the Israelites remembered their promise 
to obey the Lord. They began to fight against the wicked people who 
still lived in the land; for God had told them to destroy those people 
and to tear down their idols. When they fought God helped them just 
as he had done while Joshua lived and led themj out to battle. And 
God caused their enemies to be afraid of them. Every time they wenti 




GOD HELPED THE ISRAELITES OUT OF TROUBLE 175 


out to battle they gained a victory, and all the while they kept gaining 
more cities and more land to call their own. 

But after some time the Israelites grew tired of fighting. Per- 
haps they thought, “We will rest a while and enjoy the good country 
places We have already , taken. Then we can go out to battle again. ’ ’ 
But instead of tearing down the idols while they rested, they made 
friends with the wicked people who served these idols. They even 
began to let their , children play with the boys and girls of Canaan ; and 
by and by when their children grew up they married the sons and 
daughters of their wicked neighbors. And those sons and daughters 
taught the Israelites’ children ,to bow down before the idols in the 
land and worship them. Thus little by little the Israelites had come 
to forget their promise to J oshua, that they would serve the true God, 
and him only. 

But God did not forget his promises to the Israelites. He sent an 
angel to tell them that he was not pleased with them, because they had 
quit fighting against the wicked people of Canaan. The angel said, 
“Because you have not obeyed the Lord fully as you promised to do, 
now he will not help you when you wlant to drive these people away. 
These people will always live in your land, and they will try to teach 
you to do wickedly. If you refuse to serve their idols, God will bless 
you; but if you{ turn away from God, he will allow great troubles to 
come upon you. ’ ’ 

The Israelites listened to the angel ’s words, and they felt sorry 
because they had not tried harder to drive out all the Canaanites while 
God was helping them so wonderfully. They even wept; but now it 
was too late, for God would not help them drive their enemies awlay 
any more. Because they had made friends with these people, now they 
must live among them and see their wicked doings. 

However sorry the Israelites were, it was not very long until they 
were again forgetting, and were doing many things God had commanded 
them not to do. They were bowing down before the idols that stood 
under the beautiful trees of Canaan instead of going tio Shiloh to wor- 
ship the true God. They were even offering sacrifices on the altars 
in their fields where the Canaanites worshiped other gods. It seemed 
so easy for them to act as did their wicked neighbors. Perhaps at first 
they had thought, “Three journeys each year to Shiloh are too many. 
We will go only twice.” Then maybe the next year they went only 
once, and by and by they did not go at all. 

Although people may forget their promises, God never forgets. 


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Whatever he says he will do, that he always does. And now when 
the Israelites began to worship idols, God allowed troubles to come upon 
them. He allowed a strong enemy from a country far away to the east 
to come and fight against them. The Israelites were weak, because 
God was not fighting for them, and they lost the victory. Then their 
enemies ruled over them. For eight years this cruel enemy made their 
lives unhappy. 

When this great trouble came upon the Israelites they remembered 
how God used to help them. And they began to call upon God to help 
them again. Although they had done many wrong deeds, God heard 
them when they called. He saw they were in trouble and he spoke to 
a brave man among them whose name was Othniel. This man had 
married the daughter of the brave old soldier Caleb. 

Othniel may never have forgotten the true God as the other Israel- 
ites had done. But while they were worshiping idols he could not help 
them. Now, when they turned away from idol-worship and prayed to 
God, he called the soldiers of Israel together and led them to battle 
against their strong enemy. And God gave them the victory. 

After this time God used Othniel as a leader of the Israelites. He 
was called a judge. For forty years he ruled the people, and while he 
lived the land of Israel enjoyed rest from wicked nations round about 
them. But when he died, many of the people quit going to the taber- 
nacle at Shiloh to worship God. They would not even listen to the 
words of the Levites. They wanted to worship gods that they could 
see, like the Canaanities worshiped. So they turned again to worship 
idols. And troubles came upon them quickly, just as God had promised. 

Not far from the land of Israel was a country called Moab. This 
country was ruled by King Eglon. And this King looked with greedy 
eyes toward the rich land! of Israel. He thought, “I should like to 
rule that country, too.” One day he called his soldiers and sent them 
to fight against the men of Israel. And because God wlas not willing 
to help the Israelites in this battle they were beaten again. Then for 
eighteen long years King Eglon ruled over them. 


STORY 13 

THE LEFT-HANDED MAN WHO JUDGED ISRAEL 

Judg. 3 : 15-31 

During the eighteen years that the Israelites served E(glon, king 
of Moab, they were unhappy. Every year they had to bring much of 


THE LEFT-HANDED MAN WHO JUDGED ISRAEL 177 


their fruit and grain and many of their cattle to the King, and they 
received noi money for these things. The Moabites grew richer and 
the Israelites grew poorer all the while. The Moabites had a brave 
leader and the Israelites had no leader at all. They had forsaken God, 
and he had forsaken them. 

After suffering for a long time the Israelites began to think about 
the victories that God gave to their fathers. They talked to each other 
about those happier days when God blessed them. They remembered, 
too, how they had turned away from God to serve the idols of the 
Canaanites. Now they took offerings for sacrifices and went to Shiloh 
and gave them to the high priest to offer on the greati altar at the 
tabernacle. They prayed to God earnestly and asked him to forgive 
their sins and help them once more. And God sent them another 
deliverer, or judge. 

The second judge of Israel was named Ehud. He belonged to the 
smallest of the twelve tiribes— the tribe of Benjamin. To him the 
Israelites gave a present to carry to King Eiglon. 

Now Ehud did not feel friendly toward the wicked King who had 
made life so miserable for him and for his people. But he acted like 
a very good friend indeed. He brought the present to the beautiful 
summer house where the King was living, and turned to go away. 
Then he hurried back the second time to the beautiful palace and said, 
“I have a secret message for the King.” So Eglon dismissed his 
servants from the room and rose to hear what Ehud might say. 

Underneath his clothes and on his right side Ehud carried a short 
sword, called a dagger. Eihud was left-handed, and no one could see 
thati he had a weapon with him. But when the King came near he saw 
a sword flash in Ehud’s left hand and he felt it cut his flesh. Then he 
fell on the floor and died. 

Ehud quickly locked the doors and ran away toward where the 
Israelites were. No one saw him leave the King’s room. But after 
some time the servants grew tired of waiting for him to come out. 
They tried the doors but found them locked. At first they supposed 
their King was lying down to rest, but after waiting a while longer they 
tried again to open the doors. This time they brought a key, and when 
the door was not opened they unlocked it and went inside the room. 
There they saw the King lying dead. 

Now* they knew that Ehud had killed King Eglon. But Ehud had 
gotten too far away for them to catch him. They called the army of 
Moab and sent in haste to the land of Israel. But Ehud had already 
reached home and had called the soldiers of Israel together and they 


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BIBLtE^STORY BOOK 


came out and fought against the Moabites. In this battle Israel gained 
a great victory, and this victory brought them freedom again. After 
this time they enjoyed rest from their enemies for eighty years. 

The next people to trouble the Israelites were the Philistines, their 
neighbors in the land of Israel. These were people whom the Israel- 
ites should have driven out of the land while God was helping them. 
Now they could never drive them away. But God sent Shamgar to 
help them gain a victory over the Philistines, and he killed six hundred 
of them with only an ox-goad for a weapon. Shamgar was the third 
judge of Israel. 


STORY 14 

TWO BRAVE WOMEN WHO HELPED THE ISRAELITES OUT 
OF TROUBLE 

Judges 4, 5 

In the land of Israel, not very far from Shiloh, a brave woman 
lived whose name was Deborah. Although many of the Israelites had 
turned away from God again to worship idols, this brave woman loved 
the true God and worshiped him. 

Because Deborah was faithful to God, sometimes God spoke to 
her, and told her about things that would happen by and by. And 
Deborah told the people the words that God spoke to her. Then when 
the very things happened that Deborah told about, the people began to 
look with great respect upon this good Woman. They called her a 
prophetess. And they came to visit her from every part of the land. 
Often they found her sitting under the shade of a palm-tiree, which 
stood near her country home, and there they talked to her about their 
troubles and asked her what they should do. And Deborah became 
the fourth judge of Israel. 

At this time the Israelites were in trouble again. They were being 
ruled by a hard-hearted king, named Jabin, who lived in the north 
part of their country. Perhaps Jabin was the son of one of the 
Cahaanite kings whom their fathers had not driven out of the land. 
Now because they were bowing down to idols God was allowing this 
wicked king to rule over them. 

King Jabin had a large army, and many of his soldiers rode in 
iron chariots drawn by horses. From these chariots they shot arrows 
and threw spears at their enemies. And the Israelites feared the iron 
chariots more than they feared a host of men. The leader, or captain, 


TWO WOMEN WHO HELPED THE. ISRAELITES 179 


of Jabin ’s army was named Sisera. He, like the King, was very cruel. 

For twenty years the Israelites suffered under the rule of King 
Jabin. Especially did the tribes in the north part of the land feel his 
cruel strength. Finally they began to cry aloud to God for help. 

Then God spoke to Deborah and told her what to do. She sent 
at once for Barak, a brave man who lived in the north country near the 
city of the wicked King Jabin. When he came, she told him about 
God’s words. 

Although Barak was brave, yet he felt a shiver of fear when he 
heard Deborah’s message; for he remembered the iron chariots of 
King Jabin ’s army. He knew, too, that the other men of Israel were 
not so brave as he. What should he do ? Finally he thought) of a plan, 
so he said to Deborah, “If you will go with me to the battle against 
Jabin ’s army, I will go; but if you will not go with me, then I will not 
go.” Barak knew the soldiers of Israel believed Deborah was a) true 
prophetess of God, and he. knew they would act bravely if she would 
go with them. He believed that he, too, would feel stronger if Deborah 
were near by to encourage his faith in God. 

Deborah was ready to go with Barak; but before they started she 
said, “God will give the honor of this victory to a woman, and not 
to you. ’ ’ Barak may have thought that Deborah spoke of herself ; but 
in that he was mistaken. When they reached the north country, Barak 
called ten thousand soldiers from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun 
and went with them to Mount Tabor, the place God had chosen for their 
camp. Deborah went with them. 

Soon Sisera heard that the Israelites were making ready to fight, 
so he gathered his soldiers together and started out in haste toward 
Mount Tabor. As he went he may have thought, ‘ 4 How can those wteak 
Israelites dare to come out to battle against me and my soldiers?” 

From the camp at Mount Tabor, Deborah and Barak could see the 
little river of Klishon winding like a silver ribbon in the valley far 
below them. Presently they saw a swarm of people gathering along 
the river’s bank. This was Sisera ’s army. And they saw the hun- 
dreds of iron chariots, which the men of Israel feared so greatly. But) 
Deborah cried out to the soldiers in the camp, “This is the day when 
the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hands. Already the Lord has 
gone out to battle; now go down at once!” 

Barak and his soldiers obeyed quickly, and rushed down the moun- 
tain-side toward Sisera ’s army. And God sent a great) fear into the 
hearts of the enemies, and they began to run away. Then God caused 
a flood of water to sweep down the little river and overflow its banks. 


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BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Many of Sisera ’s men wiere drowned in the flood, and all the others 
were killed. Sisera himself left his iron chariot and ran away as fast 
as he could go. What a coward he had become ! 

Now one of the Kenite people, named Heber, had moved his tents 
away from his kinsmen to a lonely place near the border of this valley 
where the battle was fought. And Jael, Heber ’s wife, saw Sisera com- 
ing in great haste toward her tent. The people who live inj tents do 
not allow strange men to enter the tents of their women, and no doubt 
Sisera knew this custom. He thought his enemies would not expect 
him to hide in Jael’s tent, so he ran there to be safe. And when Jael 
asked him to come inside, he believed she was friendly toward his peo- 
ple. He called for a drink of water because he wtas very thirsty, and 
Jael gave him a bottle of milk. That was even better than water. 
Then, because he was very tired he lay down to rest, and Jael covered 
him with a large rug. Soon he fell asleep. 

“Now,” thought Jael, “this is my chance!” So she stepped softly 
into the tent and killed the sleeping man. What a cruel deed! But 
Jael knew how wickedly Sisera had behaved and she wanted to help 
the Israelites out of their trouble. When she knew Sisera was dead 
she ran out, and she saw Barak passing by. He was following after 
Sisera and trying to catch him and kill him. She called Barak and 
said, “Come with me and I will show you the man you seek.” And 
she brought him into the tent where Sisera lay dead. 

So it was Jael, a woman, instead of Barak, the soldier, who killed 
Sisera and ended some of Israel’s greatest troubles. After Sisera ’s 
death King Jabin was not strong enough to rule over the Israelites, 
and they enjoyed freedom again. Deborah wrote a song about this 
victory, and she and Barak sang it together as they thanked God for 
helping them. You may find the Words of that song in the fifth chapter 
of Judges. 


STORY 15 

HOW A BRAVE MAN TORE DOWN AN ALTAR OF BAAL 

Judges 6 

Deborah judged Israel for forty years, and during that time the 
people were not troubled any more by their enemies. But after she 
died they grew careless again and soon forgot about God’s goodness 
to them. They made images of the gods that the Canaanites wor- 
shiped, and served them. They even built altars and offered sacrifices 


HOW A MAN TORE, DOWN AN ALTAR OF BAAL 181 


to the gods, just as their wicked neighbors were doing all around them. 
God was much displeased wtitli them, and he forsook then entirely. 

About this time the Israelites began to have trouble with the 
Midianites. These Midianities came from the country east of the land 
of Israel. They lived in tents like gipsies, and roamed about wherever 
they could find pasture and water for their cattle and sheep and camels. 
The land of Israel had much beautiful pasture-land, and streams of 
clear water, so the Midianites came with all their tents and cattle and 
sheep and camels and camped along the borders of Israel. The Israel- 
ites were too weak to drive them away, and the Midianites grew bolder 
all the while. First they allowed their flocks and herds to graze on the 
pasture-lands of Israel; then they began to rob the Israelites of the 
food that grew in Israel’s fields and vineyards; and finally they even 
crowded the people out of their homes and drove them away to hide 
in dens and caves in the mountains. Like grasshoppers they filled the 
valleys of eastern Israel with their tents and ate up everything that 
the Israelites had raised in their gardens and fields. What a time 
of trouble this was ! 

As at other times when trouble came upon them, now the Israelites 
remembered God and cried again to him for help. But God knew 1 they 
had forsaken him and brought this great trouble upon themselves. He 
sent a prophet to remind them of the wonderful things that he had 
done for their fathers and yet they had forsaken him and turned to 
other gods. Now those gods could not help them. 

One day after the prophet had spoken to the people, an Israelite 
named Gideon was threshing wheat by a wine-press, to hide it from 
the Midianites lest they come and take it away from him. While he 
worked, an angel came and sat down under an oak-tree near by. Pres- 
ently Gideon looked up and saw the angel. He did not seem to know 
at first that his visitor was from heaven. But as they talked together 
the angel told Gideon that he should deliver the Israelites from their 
enemies. Gideon answered, “How can I do such a great work? for I 
am of a poor family, and am the least in my father’s house.” Then 
the angel told him that by God’s help he would be able to do this 
great work. 

Gideon had been so greatly discouraged because of the troubles 
and poverty of his people that he was not very quick to believe the 
angel’s word. Perhaps he thought it seemed too wonderful to be true 
that God would use him to bring about such a deliverance. So he 
asked for a sign from the angel. “If you will remain here until I 
return again and bring you a present,” he said, “then I will believe 


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that yon have surely spoken to me the words of God. ’ ’ And the angel 
waited until Gideon returned with some food. Then, instead of eating 
it, the angel told Gideon to place the meat and bread upon a rock near 
by, and to pour out the broth. Gideon obeyed, and the angel touched 
the meat and bread with the staff that he carried in his hand. Like a 
flash the rock flamjed up in fire and burned the meat and bread. And 
the angel disappeared out of sight. 

When Gideon knew he had been talking to a messenger from God 
he was afraid ; but God spoke to him and comforted him. Then Gideon 
built an altar at that place and called it by a name which meant, ‘ ‘ The 
Lord send peace.’ ’ 

Now the people where Gideon lived were worshiping the idol 
called Baal. Even Gideon’s father had an altar of Baal standing in 
his yard. God told Gideon to tear this altar down and destroy the 
trees near by where the people bowed before the images of Baal. 

Gideon was a brave man, yett he knew the people wbuld be angry 
if they should see him tearing down their idol, so he waited until night, 
and then he called ten servants to help him. They took one of his 
father’s oxen and tore the altar of Baal in pieces. Then they cut down 
the trees where the idols had stood and built a large altar to the true 
God. On it they placed the wood from the trees to make a fire, and 
they killed another ox that belonged to Gideon’s father and offered it 
for a sacrifice to God. 

When the people of the neighborhood came the next) morning to 
worship Baal they found his altar torn down and all the places to bow 
before him lying in ruins. ‘ ‘ Who has done this ? ’ ’ they asked angrily, 
and some one answered, “Gideon, the son of Joash.” Then they 
hurried to Joash and demanded that he bring out Gideon at once. “He 
has torn down Baal’s altar, and we want tio kill him,” they said. 

But Joash answered bravely, “If Baal is a god, let him help him- 
self. Why should you try to save him?” And the people, when they 
• saw that Baal could not harm the one who destroyed his altar, wore 
no longer angry with Gideon. Perhaps they felt foolish because they 
had been worshiping such a god. 

After this had happened Gideon sent messengers to the different 
parts of the land and called the soldiers of Israel together. But first 
he wanted to be very sure that God would be with him before he Should 
try to drive the Midianites away. So he asked again for a sign from 
God. This time he placed a piece of wool at nightfall on a smooth 
floor where no roof had been built overhead. He asked God to cause 
only the fleece of wool to become wet with dew. When morning came 


HOW A MAN TORE DOWN AN ALTAR OF BAAL 183 


he found the ground dry everywhere, hut the fleece of wool was cov- 
ered with dew. Gideon wrung a bowlful of water out of it. 

Still Gideon was not satisfied. He prayed that God might not be 



GIDEON AND HIS FLEECE 


angry with him if he should ask the third time for a sign. Now he 
placed the fleece of wool out as before, and he asked God to cause the 
dew to lie everywhere except on the fleece. And when morning came 
the fleece was dry while the ground about it was wet. Then Gideon 
believed that surely God was ready to help him. 


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STORY 16 

HOW THE MIDIANITES WERE SURPRIZED AT MIDNIGHT 

Judg. 7:1-8:28 

Gideon’s message to the people of Israel brought thirty-two thou- 
sand men from different parts of the country to his command. They 
pitched their camp beside a great spring called the well of Harod, on 
Mount Gilboa.. The Midianites were camping) in the broad valley be- 
low them. 

When Gideon’s army had gathered together, God spoke to their 
brave leader and said, “You have too many soldiers; for when the 
Midianites are defeated the people will think they have gained the vic- 
tory in their own strength. I want them to know surely that) I am 
leading them to the battle.” And God told Gideon to send home every 
man who was afraid to fight, against the enemy. 

Gideon obeyed God’s command, and more than two thirds of his 
soldiers left the camp and returned; to their homes. They were cow- 
ards, and cowards never can act bravely when dangers come. No doubt 
Gideon and the ten thousand men who remained were glad because the 
cowards had gone away before the battle started. 

Still God was not satisfied with the size of Gideon’s army. He 
Wanted fewer men than these. So he commanded Gideon to take the 
army down to the water and divide them there. Those who laid aside 
their weapons and bowed down at the water’s edge to drink God told 
Gideon to separate from those who held their weapons in one hand and 
drank water from the other hand. And all the men except three hun- 
dred threw their weapons on the grass and knelt down to drink. Per- 
haps they had grown accustomed to bowing down before idols, and so 
they bowed down on their knees and drank from the spring. But we 
know they were not very watchful of the enemy, or else they would not 
have carelessly laid aside their weapons in a time of danger to satisfy 
their thirst. By the three hundred watchful men God wished to fright- 
en the Midianites out of the land. He told Gideon to send the others 
back to the camp. 

Now Gideon’s army looked very small. Indeed, it no longer looked 
like an army; for only a handful of men remained. But Gideon knew 
God had promised to help, and he was willing to obey every word God 
spoke to him. 

When darkness came over the valleys and hills, God told Gideon 
that the time had come to go down and surprize the enemy ’s camp. But 


HOW THE MIDIANITES WERE, SURPRIZED 


185 


first lie told Gideon to take only one servant and steal quietly through 
the shadows to the edge of the camp and listen. There he would hear 
something thati would make him braver and stronger for the attack. 

Again Gideon carefully obeyed the Lord, and when he came near 
the Midianites ’ camp he heard one man telling another about a strange 
dream that he had dreamed. “In my dream I saw a cake. of barley 
bread come tumbling into our camp, and it overturned one of the 
tents. ” The other man said, “Your dream means that Gideon, the 



GIDEON’S ARMY BLOWING THEIR TRUMPETS 


son of Joash, will come against us with his sword and drive us away; 
for his God has delivered us into his power.’ ’ When Gideon heard 
these words he thanked God and hurried back to his waiting men. 

A busy time was now before them. First Gideon divided the men 
into three companies, with one hundred men in each company. Next 
he gave each, man a trumpet! on which to blow at the time of the attack. 
And last of all he told every man to carry an empty pitcher with a 


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burning torch hidden inside the pitcher. So with trumpets in one hand 
and pitchers in the other hand Gideon and his three hundred brave 
soldiers marched quietly down the mountain-slope toward the enemy’s 
camp. Here they parted, and very quietly they took their places around 
the camp. Then they waited for Gideon’s signal. 

Now the Midianites, except their watchmen, were all sleeping 
soundly. At midnight Gideon gave his signal, and when his soldiers 
heard his trumpet they all blew a loud, long blast. Then they cried 
aloud on every side of the camp, “The sword of the Lord and of 
Gideon!” And every one broke his pitcher at the same time. What 
a glare of light flamed up from the smoking torches around the camp ! 

The sleeping Midianites were awakened with a start. “What can 
this jgreati excitement mean?” they wondered. Then they thought, 
“Gideon has come with a great army and has surprized us. He will 
kill every one of us if we doi not run away at once.” So away they 
ran through the darkness, stumbling over each other, and falling upon 
each other’s swords. Many of them died from being trampled upon 
and wounded by their own people. Others hurried away toward the 
Jordan River, beyond which lay their owtn country. 

Gideon and his brave men followed the fleeing Midianites, and other 
soldiers of Israel came hurrying out to help drive their enemies away. 
They killed the two kings of Midian and the princes, and many of their 
men. 

After this time the Midianites did not trouble Israel any more. 
And tihe people of Israel wished Gideon would become a king and rule 
over them. But Gideon said, “I will not rule over you, and neither 
shall my son rule over you; for God is your King.” And Gideon 
judged Israel at God’s word for forty years. 


STORY 17 

THE MAN WHO MADE HIMSELF KING OVER ISRAEL 

Judg. 8: 32—10: 5 

When Gideon refused to be made king over Israel, the people 
returned to their homes, and he w;ent back to live again in Ophrah, 
the place where God first spoke to him. Here the people from every 
part of the land came to talk with him about their troubles ; for he was 
the judge of Israel. 

After Gideon died, one of his sons, named Abimelech, remembered 


THE MAN WHO MADE HIMSELF KINO 


187 


that tlie Israelites had at one time wanted to make his father the king 
of their country. But he remembered that his father had refused to 
he made a king. “Now,” thought Abimelech, “I will become their 
king.” So he talked with the men who lived in Shechem, a city not 
far from Ophrah, and they were wfell pleased with him. They gave 
him money from the temple of their idol, and with it he hired some 
wicked men to go with him back to the home of his 1 father’s people. 

Now Abimelech feared that his brothers, the sons of Gideon, might 
not want him to rule over them, so he planned to kill them all. But 
one of them, the youngest, whose name was J otham, ran away and hid 
in the mountains. The others he killed. 

After this wicked deed was done, Abimelech went again to Shechem, 
and the men from that city took him out to a country place and, under 
an oak-tree, crowned him for their king. Although they knew how 
cruelly he had treated his brothers— the sons of the great man who 
once saved their land from their enemies— yet they gave honor to 
Abimelech. 

When Jotham heard that Abimelech had been made king by the 
men of Shechem, he knew God was not pleased. He knew that Abim- 
elech had sinned again, and that the people of Shechem had also 
sinned. So he climbed the mountain that stood near Shechem and spoke 
in a loud voice, that all the people in the valley might hear his words. 
He told them a parable, or story, about the trees. This is what he said: 

4 4 The trees went out one day to make for themselves a king. First 
they asked the olive-tree to rule over them. But the olive-tree replied, 
4 Shall I leave my olive-oil, with which honor is given to God and man, 
and become merely a ruler of trees V And the olive-tree would not 
be their king. 

4 4 Next they asked the fig-tree to rule over them. But the fig-tree 
replied, 4 Shall I quit bearing fruit for mankind, and give myself to 
become only a ruler over the trees V And the fig-tree would not be 
their king. 

4 4 Then they asked the vine to rule over them. But the vine also 
refused to leave the work) that God had given to it. So at last they 
spoke to a bramble-bush, on which sharp thistles grew. And the bram- 
ble-bush replied, 4 If you will trust yourselves under my shadow, 
then I will become your king. But if you will not trust in me, then fire 
will come out from me and destroy you all, even the beautiful cedar- 
trees !’ ” 

Then Jotham explained the meaning of the story, or parable. He 
said that the men of Shechem were like the trees that wfanted a king 


188 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


to rule over them. And Abimelech was like the bramble-bush, on which 
sharp thistles grew. Abimelech would bring much sorrow to them, 
and just as the tire would burn up both the trees and the thorn-bush, 
tioo, so the sorrows caused by Abimelech would finally mean death to 
him as well as to the people of Shechem. 

After telling this story and explaining its meaning, Jotham ran 
away and hid in another part of the land. He knew Abimelech would 
surely kill him if he could find him. 

For three years Abimelech ruled over Israel as king. Then God 
allowed an evil spirit to trouble Abimelech and the men of Shechem. 
They no longer felt kind toward each other. Finally the Shechemites 
planned to kill Abimelech; but when their governor heard about the 
plan he sent a secret messenger to Abimelech to warn him about the 
wicked intentions of his people. 

Not long after this Abimelech came with an army against Shechem 
and destroyed the city. Then he went to another city near by and 
began to fight against it. The people of that city fled into a tiower and 
bolted the door on the inside, and climbed to the topmost part for 
safety. Abimelech attempted to set the tower on fire ; but while he was 
in the act a Woman on the top of the building threw a stone down upon 
his head and crushed his skull. Abimelech knew then that he would die, 
and he did not want to be killed by a woman. Because he was a strong 
soldier he thought iti would be dishonorable to have it said of him 
that a woman had caused his death. So he commanded the young man 
who carried his armor to kill him quickly with his sword. And thus 
it was that Abimelech and all the men of Shechem were killed as cruelly 
as they had killed the sons of Gideon. 

After Abimelech died, the people of Israel were judged for twentiy- 
three years by a man named Tola, who belonged to the tribe of Issachar. 
Then Jair, a man who lived on the east side of the Jordan River, became 
the next judge, and for twenty-two years the people came to him to 
have their disputes settled and their troubles removed. 


STORY 18 

HOW A GIRL SUFFERED FOR HER FATHER’S RASH PROMISE 

Judg. 10: 6—12: 7 

In the land of Israel east of Jordan there lived a man named 
Jephthah. His brothers despised him and drove him away from their 


HOW A GIRL SUFFERED FOR HER FATHER’S PROMISE 189 


father’s home, so he went to live in the land called Tob. Here he 
became a strong man, and his brave deeds were told by many people. 
Finally even his brothers heard about them. 

At this time the Israelites were in great trouble again. They had 
quit going to the tabernacle at Shiloh to worship God. Everywhere in 
the laud they were bowing down before the gods that other nations 
worshiped. And the very nations whose gods they were serving began 
to trouble them. They began to make War against the Israelites and 
to take away their riches. The Ammonites came from the east and the 
Philistines came from the west and ruled over the Israelites. The 
Ammonites even threatened to take away the homes of the Israelites 
and to drive them out of their country. This was an unhappy time 
indeed for the people who had once enjoyed the blessings of God. 

After suffering for eighteen years under the rule of their enemies, 
the Israelites remembered how God had long ago given them all the 
land and had made them stronger than all the nations who lived around 
them. So they cried to God for help, and they expected God to send 
a deliverer, just as he had done at other times when they were in 
trouble. 

But God was much displeased with the people. He was not will- 
ing to help them, because they had turned away from him to worship 
the gods of other nations. He said, “Let the gods that you have chosen 
instead of me help you out of your trouble. I will not be youri God 
when trouble comes upon you if you will not worship me when you 
have rest from your enemies.” 

Now the Israelites became very sorry for having sinned against 
the true God. They saw that the gods they were serving could never 
help them at all. They knew the true God whom their fathers had 
worshiped could deliver them out of the power of their enemies. So 
they tore down their idols and began to serve the Lord. They con- 
fessed their sins to the Lord and asked him again to help them. 

When the Lord saw that the people were really sorry for their sins, 
he began to pity them. He saw them gatner their soldiers together at 
a place called Mizpeh, tio fight against the Ammonites. But they had 
no leader. 

Finally some one remembered Jephthah whose brave deeds had 
been told through all the land. They sent quickly for him to come 
to lead them to the battle against the Ammonites. But Jephthah was 
not willing to conje. Not untiil his brothers had promised to treat him 
kindly would Jephthah return again with his family to his old home 
and help his people out of their trouble. 


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Jephthah knew that unless God would be with him he could not 
gain a victory over the Ammonites. So he asked God to help him, and 
lie promised to give as a present) to God the first thing that should meet 
him on his return home from the battle. This was not a wise promise ; 
for Jephthah did not know What might come first to greet him on his 
return. 

The Ammonites sent a message to the Israelites at Mizpeh and 
wanted them to give up all the land east of the Jordan River; they said 
this land belonged to them first. But Jephthah sent back an answer 
that God would be the judge, for he had given the land to the people of 
Israel. Then the battle began ; and the Israelites won the victory. 

News of the victory reached Jephthah ’s home before he returned 
with the army to Mizpeh. And everybody was glad because God had 
helped them again. Jephthah ’s daughter, his only child, came hurry- 
ing out to meet her father, singing for joy. But her song ended quickly 
when she saw her father’s troubled face. He had remembered his 
promise to the Lord. Now he believed that he must give his only child 
as an offering to God. How sorry he felt because he had made such 
an unwise promise! He tore his clothes and cried out in distress. 
Then he told his daughter about the promise that he had made. 

The people of other nations sometimes gave their children to their 
gods ; but the law of Moses forbade the Israelites doing such a thing. 
Perhaps Jephthah had never heard that parti of the law read, and he 
had often heard about the cruel custom of his heathen neighbors. He 
believed that he would need to keep his promise, although it w&s not 
a wise one. And his daughter urged him to keep it, because God had 
given him the victory over their enemies. But first she asked for two 
months’ time to spend alone with her friends in the mountains, weep- 
ing because she must soon be taken away from them. Afterwards she 
returned again to her father that he might fulfil his promise to God. 

Jephthah judged Israel for six years after his victory over the 
Ammonites, and then he died. 


STORY OF A STRONG MAN WHO JUDGED ISRAEL 191 


STORY 19 

THE STORY OF A STRONG MAN WHO JUDGED ISRAEL 

Judges 13—16 

More than thirty years passed before the Israelites as a nation 
again forsook God and turned to idol-worship. Perhaps the fathers 
and mothers never did set up the old idols they had torn down; huti 
when their sons and their daughters grew to manhood and womanhood 
they wished to have gods like their heathen neighbors \ So they made 
idols like the gods that their neighbors worshiped, and placed the idols 
in their cities and under the trees in their dooryards. There they 
bowed down before them, and served them in the same wicked man- 
ner as did their heathen friends. 

Not all of the Israelites, however, began to worship idols again. 
Some here and there throughout the land of Israel continued to fear 
God and to serve him. But their numbers were few. And when trouble 
came upon the land because the people as a nation had forsaken God, 
the few who still served him suffered with those who deserved to be 
punished. 

After a while the Philistines began to trouble Israel. These peo- 
ple lived by the seacoast, and they were strong and cruel. For forty 
years they ruled over the tribes of Israel whose land joined their coun- 
try. They worshiped a god whom they called D'agon, and they set up 
his idol in the temple of their chief city, Gaza. This hideous-looking 
idol had the face and hands of a man, and the body of a fish. 

One of the tribes whose land joined the country of the Philistines 
was the tribe of Dan. Belonging to this tribe was a man named Ma- 
noah, who with his wife feared God and served him. These people had 
no children. One day an angel appeared to Manoah ’s wife and told her 
that God would give her a son. He said this son should become a great 
man some day, that he would begin to deliver their land from the rule 
of the Philistines. 

No doubt Manoah and his wife were made happy by the promise 
of this angel. And when the child was born to them; they named him 
Samson. They were careful to obey the words of the angel, who had 
told them never to allow their son to drink wine. Neither should they 
ever cut his hair t for the angel said he should become a Nazarite. 

Now a Nazarite was a person who either gave himself to do some 
special work for God or else was given by his parents at the time of his 


192 


BIBLEi-STORY BOOK 


birth. And the sign by which a Nlazarite was known from other people 
was his long hair, which grew from year to year without being cut. 
If he should cut his hair, or if he should drink 'wine, then he no longer 
could have God's blessings upon his work. 

When Samson grew up, his body became very strong. His .will 
also became strong, and hard to bend. That is, whenever he wished 

to do a certain 
thing he would not 
listen to advice 
from any one; he 
wanted to do as he 
pleased. Perhaps 
his parentis had al- 
lowed him' to have 
his own way when 
a child, and when 
he became a man 
he still wished to 
have his own way. 
Sometimes he be- 
haved much like a 
naughty child; and 
this wrong behav- 
ior at last got him 
into great trouble. 
It even cost his 
life. 

Although Samson was careful never to drink wine nor to cut his 
hair, yet he was not careful always to choose good people for his 
friends. He visited the Philistines, and when he grew to manhood he 
even wished to marry one of them. His parents were sad, because they 
feared that he might begin to worship Dagon if he should marry a Phi- 
listine woman. But Samjson wanted to have liis own way, and he had it. 

No sooner was Samson married than his troubles began. His 
wife's friends displeased him, and he became angry with them. He 
went back to his own home and left his wife at her father's house. 
When he did not return for many days, his father-in-law gave his wife 
in marriage to another man. 

By and by Samson’s anger cooled off and he decided to go again 
and live with his wife. Probably he felt ashamed because he had left 
her in an angry mood. Wishing to gain her good-will again, he took 



STORY OF A STRONG MAN WHO JUDGED ISRAEL 193 


her a present. But when he came to her father ’s lionse he learned that 
she had become the wife of another man. 

Now Samson was very angry indeed. He started toward his home, 
but stopped long enough on the way to catch three hundred foxes and 
tie their tails together, two and two, placing between the tails of each 
two a firebrand. Then he lit the firebrands and turned the foxes loose, 



SAMSON KILLING THE PHILISTINES WITH A DRY BONE 

yelping and snarling, into the corn-fields of the Philistines. Of course 
the corn was all burned up, and even the olive-trees and the grape- 
vines were destroyed by the fire. 

Then it was the Philistines who became angry. They asked, “Who 
has done this mischief!” and some one told them that Samson Was 
trying to punish them because his wife had been given to another man. 
Hearing this, the Philistines blamed Samson’s father-in-law for the 
trouble, and they set fire to his house and burned him and his daughter 
to death. 

When Samson heard what had happened to his wife and her father, 
he rushed down to their city again and killed many of the people who 
lived there. Then he hurried away and climbed to the top of a high 


194 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


rock in the land that belonged to the tribe of Judah. The Philistines 
followed after him and came with an army of one thousand men to cap- 
ture the man who was giving them so much trouble. The men of the 
tribe of Judah asked, “Why have you come into our land!” And 
the Philistines said, “We have come to take Samson and to bind him 
and carry him hack to our own land tio he punished. ’ ’ Then the men of 
Judah climbed to the top of the rock and hound Samson with new cords, 
and tied his hands fast. In this condition they brought him down and 
gave him to his enemies. 

Just when the Philistines thought they had almost ended their 
troubles, Samson broke the cords off his arms and hands and picked up 
a dry hone, which lay on the ground near by, and began to strike vio- 
lently at the people around him. With this weapon he killed them all. 

Afterwards Samison became very thirsty and he thought he might 
die. He prayed to God and asked for wlater. Then God caused water 
to come, and Samson drank from it and received^ strength once more. 

Samson showed his great strength again when he visited the Phil- 
istines’ chief city, Gaza, and the men of that city locked the gates to 
keep him for a prisoner. He rose up during the night and, finding the 
gates locked, tore them apart from the city wall and placed them, posts 
and all, upon his shoulders. For twenty miles he carried them across 
the fields and hills, and placed them on top of a hill in the\ tribe-land 
of Judah. How surprized the men of Gaza were to discover, on the 
next morning, that their prisoner had fled and had taken the gates of 
their city with him! 


STORY 20 

HOW SAMSON CAME TO HIS DEATH 

Judg. 16 : 4-31 

Although Samson knew that the Philistines hated him, yet he dared 
again and again tio go among them. He knew' their fear of his great 
strength made them quite harmless. 

And, strange as it may seem, the Philistine women pleased Sam- 
son more than did the women of his own people. Some time after the 
cruel death of his wife, Samson met and loved another young woman 
among the Philistines. Her name was Delilah. 

When the rulers of the country heard that Samson was coming 
often to visit Delilah, they offered to give her much money if she would 
find out for them the secret of Samson’s great strength. They be- 


HOW SAMSON GAME TO HIS DEATH 


195 


lieved they would then be able, by Delilah’s help, to capture him and 
put him in prison. Delilah loved pretty things that money can buy. 
She loved her own people better than she loved the strong man who 
came often to visit her. And she consented at once to help the rulers 
in their plan to capture Samson. 

When Samson came again tio visit at her home, Delilah received 
him as kindly as ati other times. Perhaps she talked to him] with flat- 
tering words, to please him. Then finally she asked him to tell her 
whether his great strength could possibly be taken away from him by 
human hands. Samson replied that if he should be tied securely with 
seven green twigs his great strength would leave him and he should 
be powerless, like other men. 

Delilah quickly sent a messenger to the rulers, telling what she had 
learned; and they sent her seven green twigs like those of a willow- 
tree. With these she bound Samson securely while he lay asleep. Then 
she called to him in frightened tones, 4 ‘Wake up, Samson! the Phil- 
istines are coming to take you!” But Samson did not seem at all 
frightened when he found himself tied with the green twigs. He sprang 
up and broke the twigs as easily as if they had been burned by fire. 

Then Delilah was disappointed. She knew Samson was not serious 
when he told her about the green twigs. She pouted and told him that 
he was only making fun of her. She asked him again to tell her about 
the secret of his strength; and Samson pretended to be very serious 
when he told her that if he should be bound tightly with new ropes, 
then he should no longer be strong. 

Delilah believed lie was telling the truth this time, so she sent 
word again to the rulers, and they came, bringing the new ropes. While 
Samson slept, they hid near by and waited until Delilah should tie him 
fast and then waken him, as she had done before. But this time when 
Samson was awakened, he broke the strong, new ropes as easily as if 
they had been threads, and ran away. 

We should think Samson might know by this time that Delilah 
was not his friend. But perhaps he thought he w»as having some fun. 
So he went again to visit Delilah, and again she coaxed him to tell the 
secret of his wonderful strength. This time Samson told her thati if 
his hair should be woven like threads in a loom where cloth is made, 
then he could not free himself. But when Delilah wove his long hair 
in a loom and fastened it securely! to the weaving-frame with a large 
pin, Samson rose up and tore the frame apart as easily as he had freed 
himself at other times. 

Delilah began to think that she should not be able to get the money 


196 


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that the rulers offered to give to her if she would find out the secret of 
Samson’s great strength. She felt', very unhappy. Day after day she 
pleaded with Samson, telling him that surely he did not love her at all. 

Because Samson did love Delilah he began to feel sorry for her. 
He did not want to make her so unhappy. Finally he told her the 
truth— that he was a Nazarite, and that because his long hair had never 
been cut he was a powerful man. “If I should let my hair be cut short, 
then the Lord would leave mje, ’ ’ he said, ‘ 4 and then I should- become 
weak and helpless before my enemies. ” 

Delilah was sure now that Samson had told her all the truth. 
She sent her messengers secretly tio the rulers and told them what 
Samson had made known to her. And they came again to hide and 
wait until Delilah should call for them. While Samson slept a man 
came and shaved off his long hair. Then Delilah called him again and 
told him that his enemies had come to take him. Samson opened his 
eyes and saw that the Philistine rulers were already in the room. He 
sprang up and said, ‘ ‘ I will go out as ati other times. ’ ’ But alas ! this 
time he could not go out, for the Lord had departed from him and he 
was helpless in the hands of his enemies. 

The Philistines rejoiced greatly because at last they had gotten 
hold of Samson. They bound him and took him to Gaza, the city where 
he once tore down the gates and got away. Now they locked him in a 
prison, and to make veiy sure that he would not bother them again they 
put out his eyes. Then they chained him with fetters and made him 
turn a heavy millstone to grind grain, just as though he were a beast. 

Poor, unhappy Samson ! At last, when all too late, he realized that 
Delilah, the woman he loved, was not his friend. He realized that he 
had made a sad mistake when he kept company with a Philistine woman. 
He knew she had tempted him to displease God by telling the secret 
of his wonderful strength. And he had yielded to the temptation. Now 
he must suffer the remainder of his life, and always be blind. There 
in the prison he prayed to God and promised again to become a Naza- 
rite, even though he were blind. And God heard his prayer. 

Now the rulers of the Philistines planned to offer a great sacrifice 
to their god, Dagon, to thank him for giving them power over Samson. 
So they made a feast in the temple of their god, and many people came 
to praise Dagon ^and to rejoice over Samson’s defeat. Finally they 
brought Samson into the court of the temple, to amuse them. No doubt 
they thought he looked very funny with his long, shaggy hair and beard, 
for he had never been shaven in the prison. They may have forgotten 
that the secret of his great strength lay in his long hair, or they may 



HOW SAMSON CAME TO HIS DEATH 197 

have supposed that he could no longer do harm because he was blind. 

Samson knew that the temple was crowded with people. Even on 
the flat roof three thousand men and women were standing together, 
looking down into the court where Samson was leaning against a pil- 
lar, praying. They did not know that he was asking God to help him 
once more. They Were laughing at his misery. Then suddenly the 
roof began to crack and fall in pieces, and the whole temple of Dagon 
fell down. Samson had asked the boy who led him to take him to the 


great, pillars that) supported the roof. And, standing between these 
pillars, he had placed his arms around them, and had bowed forward 
with all his might. God had heard his prayer, and had given him back 
his great strength. And thus Samson died with the Philistines, in the 
ruins of their temple. 

For' twenty years Samson had judged his own people. He had 
been the strongest man of whom, the world had known. And by his 
great strength he had set his people free ffom the rule of their enemies. 

When the news of this great act of Samson’s reached the land of 
Israel, Samson’s brothers hurried to Gaza' and found his body and 
carried it back to their own land. They buried him in the same place 
where his father, Manoah, had been buried. And it was known every- 


SAMSON PULLING DOWN THE PHILISTINE TEMPLE 


198 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


where throughout, the land that Samson killed more Philistines at his 
death than he had killed during all the years of his life. And perhaps 
even Delilah, too, died among the others in the temple of Dagon. 


STORY 21 

THE YOUNG WOMAN WHO FORSOOK IDOLS TO SERVE GOD 

Ruth 1—4 

Ruth was a young girl who lived in the country of Moab. Her 
father and mother and all her relatives worshiped idols. Her neigh- 
bors worshiped idols, too. In fact, Ruth had never heard about the 
true God. Her nation, the Moabites, had never served God. They 
served a hideous-looking idol named Chemosh. This idol was some- 
times called a fire-god, because he was worshiped with fire. His image 
was made of brass, with a hollow place on the inside, in which fire 
was built. Then, when the brass image became red-hot, the sacrifices 
were placed in the outstretched arms. Sometimes even children were 
offered as sacrifices to this god. Ruth had often seen her people bow 
down before Chemosh. She, too, had been taught to fear and wor- 
ship him. 

Then one day some people from the land of Israel came to live 
near Ruth’s home. Because so little rain had fallen in their own land 
these people could not raise food enough: to eat. So they had come 
to Moab, where plenty of rain fell, and there they decided to stay until 
the famine should end in their ow|n country. 

After a while Ruth became acquainted with this Israelite family. 
She soon learned that they worshiped a different God from the god of 
the Moabites. Finally the man, whose name was Elimelech, died, leav- 
ing his wife, Naomi, and her two sons alone in a strange land. When 
the sons grew to manhood they married girls of Moab. One of the 
girls was named Of pah, and the other one was named Ruth— the Ruth 
of our story. 

Now Ruth went to live with Naomi, her mother-in-law. Orpah, 
too, lived with them. And there these young women learned about the 
God of the Israelites. Instead of teaching her young husband to serve 
Chemosh, the fire-god, Ruth learned to serve the true God. 

Ten years passed by, and Ruth’s husband died. His brother also 
died, leaving his mother alone with her two daughters-in-law. Now 
Naomi was very sad. She was too poor to care for herself, and when 


THE WOMAN WHO FORSOOK IDOLS TO SERVE GOD 199 


she heard that the famine had ended in her homeland she decided to 
return again to her own people, f With a sad heart she started away 
from the strange country where her husband and sons lay buried. 

Orpah and Ruth loved Naomi, and they wished to go with her to 
the land of Israel. But after they started Naomi urged them tio turn 
back and leave her to go alone. She knew the journey would be long 
and tiresome for them, and she knew they had no friends waiting to 
welcome them there. Once she had been a stranger in Moab, and she 
remembered how it felt to live among people of a different nation. She 
told them they might be happier with their own people. 

After a while Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by and turned 
back; but Ruth clung only more tightly to the dear old lady who had 
helped to teach her about the true God. She said: ‘ ‘ Do not try to 
force me to turn back, for I will never leave you alone. Where you go, 
I will go; from this time your people shall become my people, and 
your God I choose to be my God.” 

Naomi saw how truly Ruth loved her, and she did not talk to her 
any more about going back to her own mother’s home. Together these 
two women walked on and on, over the fields and hills. At last they 
came to the city of Bethlehem, where Naomi had once lived so happily 
with her husband and two little boys. 

The people of Bethlehem were glad to see Naomi again. But they 
noticed quickly how trouble and sorrow had changed their old friend. 
They asked each other, “Can this be Naomi?” And when she heard 
them she said, “Do not call me Naomi now, but call me Mara,; for God 
has taken my loved ones away from me, and my life has become bitter 
indeed.” The word “Naomi” means pleasant, and the Word “Mara” 
means bitter; and Naomi thought her name should be changed because 
her happiness had been changed to sorrow. And Naomi told her friends 
how Ruth had chosen to come with her and to worship the God of Israel. 

At this time the grain was ripe in the fields, and the reapers were 
busy cutting it with sickles and binding it in bundles. The custom of 
the Israelites was to leave some stialks of grain in the fields for the 
poor people to gather. And Ruth went out to glean some grain for 
herself and; for her mother-in-law 1 . 

Now it happened that Ruth began to glean in the field of a very 
rich man, named Bioaz. This man lived in Bethlehem, and his servants 
worked in his fields. While Ruth was busy at work, Boaz came to talk 
with his servants. He saw the strange young woman and he asked 
who she Was. The master of his servants replied, ‘ ‘ This is the young 
Moabitess who came with Naomi from her own land. She asked me 


200 


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whether she might glean after onr reapers, and I gave her my con- 
sent. ” 

Boaz had heard how Ruth forsook her idol-worship and began to 
serve the true God. He had heard, too, how kind she had been to her 
mother-in-law. And now he saw her toiling patiently among strange 
people, trying to find food for herself and Naomi. And he admired 
the beautiful young woman. He told the reapers tio treat her kindly, 

v and to let some 
grain fall on pur- 
pose for her to 
gather. And he 
spoke kindly to 
her, and told her 
to come back 
every morning to 
glean in his fields. 
He invited her to 
eat lunch with his 
servants and tio 
relieve her thirst 
from their water- 
pitchers. 

Ruth was 
very thankful for 
boaz talking to ruth this kindness. She 

„ , n , bowed with her 

face to the ground and said, “Why are you so kind to one who is a 
stranger ? ’ ’ 

And Boaz replied, “I liave been told about your kindness to your 
mother-in-law 1 since your husband died, and I have heard how ‘you 
left your own people and their idols to worship the true God. And 
now may the true God reward you with many blessings.” 

Ruth told Naomi about the kindness of Boaz when she returned 
at evening with her garnered sheaves, or bundles. And Naomi said 
“This man is a relative of m,y husband’s. Stay in his field as Iona- as 
the harvest lasts.” 

At the end of the harvest the bundles were taken to the threshing- 
floor, where the kernels of grain were separated from the chaff and 
straw. Then a feast was held, and the rich and the poor rejoiced to 
gether because God had given them food for another year. Naomi 
sent Ruth to the threshing-floor when Boaz held a feast. She told Ruth 



HARVESTING GRAIN IN PALESTINE. WHERE RUTH LIVED 


202 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


to speak to Boaz about their kinship, and to ask him tio treat them 
kindly for the sake of her husband and his father, Who had died in 
Moab. 

Boaz had seen how well Ruth behaved, how quietly and carefully 
she wmrked, and he had admired her conduct very much. Now he saw 
that he loved her. And when she told him about Naomji ’s words he 
promised to treat them kindly. 

Not long after this time Boaz married Ruth, and took her to live 
in his own house. And he took care of Naomi, too, as long as she lived. 
And Naomi became the nurse of the baby boy which God gave to Boaz 
and Ruth. This little boy they named Obed. 

Because Ruth chose to serve God, he blessed her and gave her a 
happy home in the land of Israel. And she became the great-grand- 
mother of David, who was one of Israel’s bravest kings. From her 
descendants long years afterwards was born the wonderful Child who 
became the Savior of the world. 


STORY 22 

THE LITTLE BOY WHOSE MOTHER LENT HIM TO THE LORD 

1 Sam. 1:1-3:18 

In the land of Israel, not, very far from Shiloh, there lived a man 
named Elkanah. This man feared God, and every year he went to 
Shiloh, taking his offerings for sin to the priests at the tabernacle. He 
did not go' alone, but took his family with him, and they worshiped God 
together. 

But Hannah, Elkanah ’s wife, was very unhappy because God had 
never given her a child. Even though Elkanah loved her dearly and 
gave her much honor, still Hannah would not be comforted. One year 
when she went with her husband to offer sacrifices at Shiloh she prayed 
and asked God to give her a baby boy. She promised to lend the little 
boy back to God if only he would answer her prayer. 

And God answered Hannah’s prayer. He rarely denies unselfish 
prayers, and Hannah had prayed unselfishly. Even before another 
year passed by God gave Hannah and Elkanah the baby boy she had 
promised to lend again to him. And Hannah named him Samuel, 
which means, “ Asked of God.” We are sure that she nursed him care- 
fully and loved him very dearly. But she did not forget her promise 
to the Lord. 


THE BOY WHOSE MOTHER LENT HIM TO THE LORD 203 


When Samuel was yet a very little fellow, Hannah packed his 
clothes in a. neat bundle one day and took him to Shiloh. There she 
brought, him to the high priest, whose name was Eli. She told Eli how 
she had prayed for this child, and how she had promised to lend him to the 
Lord as long as he should live. Now she wanted Samuel to live near 
the tabernacle and learn 
how to help the high 
priest. 

Although Eli was a 
very old man he had 
never before heard of 
any one lending a child 
to the Lord. Buti he knew 
God was pleased to have 
Hannah do this, and he 
promised to take care of 
her little boy and to teach 
him to serve God. Then 
Hannah and her husband 
returned to their own 
home at Ramah, leaving 
Samuel at Eli’s tent, near 
the tabernacle at Shiloh. 

Every year after this time when Elkanah came to offer his sacri- 
fices at Shiloh, Hannah came too, and every year she brought a new 
coat for her little boy. How glad she must have been to see him grow- 
ing taller! And how thankfully she must have listened while Eli told 
about the many things that little Sainjuel was learning to do about the 
tabernacle ! Her heart was very glad because God had answered her 
prayer. And God gave her other children besides Samuel. 

Now Eli had two sons, who were priests. But they were wicked 
men. They did many things that displeased God greatly. They be- 
haved so wrongly that many good people in Israel dreaded to go to 
Shiloh with their offerings. And Eli knew they did wrong; buti still 
he allowed them to be priests at the tabernacle. Sometimes he told 
them they should act differently, but he had allowed them to misbehave 
for so many years that now they would not listen to his words. But 
Samuel did not learn to do wrong, like those wicked men. 

One day God sent a prophet to speak to Eli and warn him about 
his sons’ wrong-doing. He said they would surely be punished. And 
because Eli had allowed them to act as priests when they were wicked 



204 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


men, the prophet said that Eli would also be punished. T'he^ office of 
the high priest would be taken away from his house forever. None 
of his children after him should work at the tabernacle. 

After the prophet went away, God one night spoke to Samuel. Now 
it had been a long, long time since any one had heard God’s voice. 
Samuel did not understand that God was speaking to him. He was only 
a child yet, and he did not) know very much about God. When he heard 
a voice calling him through the darkness, he believed that Eli wished 
to speak to him. So he rose quickly from his bed and ran to Eli. 
“Here am I,” he said, and he stood ready to do whatever Eli might 
ask. But Eli was surprized at his coming. He said, “I did not call 
for you, my boy. Lie down again.” And Samuel obeyed. 

Soon the voice spoke again, “Samuel!” And Samuel rubbed his 
sleepy eyes and hurried again to Eli’s bedside. “Here I am,” he 
said, “for I heard you call.” But once more Eli replied, “I did not) 
call; return again to your bed.” 

When the voice spoke the third time to Samuel, and when Samuel 
ran the third time to Eli, then the old man understood that perhaps 
God was wishing to speak to his little friend. So he told Samuel to 
return again to his bed and listen for the voice. And when God should 
call again he should say, “Speak, for thy servant heareth.” 

Samuel went back and lay down again, and soon he heard the 
voice of God calling, “Samuel! Samuel!” And he answered, “Speak, 
for thy servant heareth.” And God talked with Samuel that nighti, 
and told him that he was soon going to punish Eli and his sons; just 
as the prophet had said. 

When morning came Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the words 
of the Lord. Perhaps he had lain wide awake for a long time, won- 
dering how he could tell this message to the dear old man who had 
been, so kind to him. But Eli knew that God had spoken to the child. 
And when Samuel did not come near to tell him about God’s words he 
called the lad to him. Samuel came as he had done during the night, 
and said, “Here ami I.” And at Eli’s request he told all the words 
of the Lord. And Eli bowed his head and said, “It is the Lord: let 
him do what he wills.” 


THE STORY OF THE STOLEN ARK 


205 


STORY 23 

THE STORY OF THE STOLEN ARK 

1 Sam. 3:19-4:22 

As Samuel grew older, God spoke toi him again and again. And 
Samuel was always faithful tio speak God’s word to the people. By and 
by the Israelites from every part of the land began to say to each 
other, “Surely Samuel is a prophet of God!” 

But in many parts of Israel at this time the people were wor- 
shiping idols. While some, like Samson’s father and mother, and like 
Samuel’s parentis, still feared God and worshiped him at Shiloh, many 
others had turned completely to serve the idols made of wood or silver 
or gold. And God’s displeasure rested upon them. Like Eli’s wicked 
sons, they were soon to he punished by their enemies because of this 
great sin. 

The Philistines, their old-time enemies, planned to fighti against 
the Israelites again. So they went out to battle and killed many of the 
Israelites. After the batitle the chief men of Israel met together and 
talked things over. They saw God had not helped them at all. And 
finally they decided to send for the ark of God at Shiloh, and bring it 
into their camp. They knew God had blessed their fathers long ago 
when the ark was in the} camp, and they believed by bringing it into 
the camp again they would surely cause God to* look kindly upon them 
once more. 

Instead of praying earnestly and asking God to help them, the 
Israelites hurried to Shiloh and told Eli’s wicked sons about their 
plan. And these priests replied at once, “We will take the ark and go 
with you to the battle.” They, too, believed that God would surely 
take care of his ark. And they supposed that God would protect the 
people where the ark of God was taken. 

When the priests came back with the Israelites tio their camp, all 
the soldiers gave a glad cry. They shouted so loudly that the sound 
of their rejoicing was heard in the camp of the Philistines. And their 
enemies wondered, “What has happened in the camp of Israel to 
cause such rejoicing after we have defeated them in battle!” Presently 
some one told them that the ark of God had come into their camp. 

The Philistines were idol-worshipers. They believed the ark was 
like an idol, or god, and that its presence in the camp of Israel would 
add greatly to the strength of the Israelites. They remembered the 
things they had heard long ago about how the God of the Israelites had 


206 


BIBlLE-STORY BOOK 



brought great troubles upon Egypt. They were afraid of such a won- 
derful God. They trembled, because they thought the Israelites would 
surely gain the victory over them and rule over them cruelly after- 
wards. 

Before the next battle began the captains of the Philistine army 
told their men to fight bravely to the very end. They said, “We must 


THE DEATH OF ELI 

defeat the Israelites in this battle and save our country/’ And the 
soldiers did their very best. 

The Israelites had started out bravely enough, with Eli’s sons 
carrying the ark of God into their battle-line. But soon they saw that 
their enemies were stronger than before. And soon Israelite men 
began to fall on every side. Even the priests were killed, and the ark 
of God was taken away from the Israelites. 

This was the greatest sorrow that had ever come upon the people 
of Israel To have the ark of God taken away from them— what could 




HOW THE ARK OlF GOD TROUBLED DAGON 


207 


seem worse! Every soldier left alive fled from the battle-field in great 
fear. He knew now that God surely had forsaken his people because 
of their sins. One ' of those who ran away came to Shiloh with his 
clothes torn as a sign of sorrow, and told the sad news to the people 
of the city. 

Eli sat near the tabernacle, by the roadside, whiting to hear pews 
from the ark. He felt troubled because his sons had taken it away 
from the tabernacle. But he was now very old and blind, and his 
sons did much as they pleased. And so they had taken the ark away 
with themi to the battle. 

W T hen the messenger came into the city and told how the Phil- 
istines had defeated the Israelites again, and had even killed Eli’s 
sons and stolen the ark of God, the people of Shiloh cried aloud for 
sorrow. And Eli heard their sad cry. He asked, “What has hap- 
pened!” And the messenger came to him and repeated all his words. 

Eli listened sorrowfully to the account of the defeat. He even heard 
about the death of his sons without uttering a cry. But when the mes- 
senger told him that the ark of God had been stolen by the Philistines, 
he fell backward from his seat and died. For forty years he had 
judged Israel, as well as being; the high priest. And he died at the 
age of ninety-eight years. 


STORY 24 

HOW THE ARK OF GOD TROUBLED DAGON AND HIS 
WORSHIPERS 

1 S am . 5 : 1—7 : 2 

The Philistines rejoiced greatly over the victory they had gained. 
They believed their god was greater even than the God of the Israel- 
ites, whose ark they had tak$n. They carried the ark from the battle- 
field to one of their chief cities, and set it up in the temple beside 
Dagon, the fish-god. 

But troubles began at once for Dagon and for his worshipers. 
The next morning when the people of the city came to the temple they 
found their god lying face downward on the floor before the ark. They 
set him up in his place and w*ent away. The next morning they came 
again, and this tiime they found Dagon lying on the floor in the same 
humble position, but now his head and his hands were broken off his 
body. What a pitiful condition poor Dagon was in! Surely he could 
not protect himself before the ark of the God of Israel. 


208 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Nor did the troubles end here. The people of the city began to 
have boils and sores, which caused them much suffering. And all the 
Philistines in tihe country near by also suffered from these, terrible 
boils. Finally they decided that the ark of God in their temple was 
bringing this trouble upon them. Their rulers gathered together to 
plan what to do. They said, “We will not let the ark of the God of 
Israel stay with us, for he is against us and against Dagon, our god. ’ ’ 
So they sent the ark away to another of their cities. 

Gath was the second place to which the ark was taken, and the 
people of that city soon began to suffer from boils and sores just as the 
people of Ashdod had, where the ark had been in Dagon ’s temple. And 
many of the men of Gath died. 

Now the Philistines were becoming afraid of the ark. They sent 
it on to another city, called Ekron. But the people of Ekron cried out 
in fear when they saw it being carried into their city. They said, 
“Have you brought this ark here to kill us and our children ?” 

God was much displeased because the Philistines had stolen the 
ark away from Israel. He was punishing them, and again in this city 
he caused many of the people to die, and a great! cry of sorrow rose 
from the homes of the people whose relatives were killed. 

Now the Philistines were in very great trouble. They did not 
know what to do with the ark. They were afraid to keep it among them 
any longer lest they all die. Ati last they decided on a plan. And this 
is what they did : 

First they built a new cart, then they took two young cows that 
had never before worn an oxen’s yoke and hitched them to the cart. 
They set the ark in the cart and put with it a box containing a present 
of golden jewels for Israel’s God. Afteh they had tied the calves at 
home they brought! the young cows to the road that led toward the land 
of Israel and let them go. For they said, “We shall see whether they 
will return home to their calves or whether they will take the ark back 
to Israel. If they return home we shall believe our troubles have just 
happened by chance; but if they go straight on to the land of Israel 
we shall know surely that Israel’s God has troubled us.” This did not 
seem like a fair test; yet the cows started at once toward Israel, and did 
not stop until they reached the country of Betih-sliemesh. 

The men of Betli-shemesh were busy at work in their wheat-harvest 
when they saw the new cart coming up the highway from Ekron. They 
noticed at once that the ark of God was in the cart and they were glad. 
Seven months had passed since the ark had been stolen from Israel. 
Perhaps the Israelites feared they might never see it again. Now the 


HOW SAMUEL JUDGED THE ISRAELITES 


209 


cows turned from the road and entered a field. They stopped beside 
a great stone. 

The men of Beth-shemesh qaine quickly to the place and removed 
the ark from off the cart. They brought axes and chopped the cart in 
pieces, then built an altar and laid the Wood upon it, and offered the 
two cows in sacrifice to God for returning the ark again to their land. 
Some Levites had come with them to do 1 this work as they bad seen it 
done at the tabernacle in Shiloh. 

All might have gone well had the men of Beth-shemesh not been 
too curious. But they wished to see what was inside the ark. Perhaps 
they wondered whether the Philistines had stolen the tables of stone, 
which Moses had so very long ago put inside this gold-covered box. So 
they lifted the lid, called the mercy-seat, and looked inside. This was 
very wrong, for God had Commanded that no one except the priests 
should touch the ark, and the men of Israel knew this command. Be- 
cause they disobeyed, mjany of them died. 

Now even the people of Israel were in trouble because of the ark. 
They sent quickly to their neighbors at Kirjath-jearim, asking them to 
come and take the ark away. And when they came they took iti to the 
house of a man named Abinadab, and it was kept in that place for 
twenty years. Abinadab was a Levite, and they placed the ark in the 
keeping of Eleazar, his son. 

• After this time the worship of God was never again restored in 
Shiloh. Samuel returned to liis parents’ home at Hamah, and he be- 
came the last of IsraePs fifteen judges. 


STORY 25 

HOW SAMUEL JUDGED THE ISRAELITES 

1 Samuel 7, 8 

Samuel was yet a boy when the ark was taken away from Shiloh. 
And after Eli’s sons, the priests, had been killed, and Eli had died, no 
one remained at the tabernacle to offer sacrifices on the altar of burnt 
offering every morning and evening. So Samuel went back to live again 
at his father’s house in Bamah, and by and by the tabernacle at Shiloh 
was no longer used. 

During the years while Samuel was growing into manhood, the 
Israelites were being ruled by the Philistines. And everywhere they 
were mourning because the Lord seemed to have forsaken them en- 


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tirely. They were thinking, too, of Samuel, the boy who used to help 
Eli, the high priest, at the tabernacle. They remembered how God used 
to- talk to Samuel, and they believed some day this boy would find a way 
to help them outi of their troubles. 

As soon as Samuel became grown he began to visit the people in 
different parts of the land. He talked to them about God, and told 
them that if they wished to be delivered from the rule of the Philis- 
tines, first of all they must forsake their idols, tear them down, and be- 
gin to serve God with their whole hearts. 

What a cleaning-up time followed! Everywhere the people tore 
down the idols of Baal and Ashtaroth, the gods of the heathen before 
which they had often bowed down. And everywhere they began to call 
upon God to help them. They were much in earnest; and Samuel was 
well pleased to see them do these things. Then he sent word to the 
people to come together in a great meeting at a place called Mizpeh, 
and there he would pray for them. 

While the meeting was being held at Mizpeh, the Philistines heard 
that the Israelites had come together at that place. They supposed 
the Israelites were preparing to fight against them, and they sent word 
quickly to their bravest soldiers to come at once. Then they marched 
toward Mizpeh to fight with Israel. 

But the Israelites had brought no weapons to fight with. They had 
come to weep and confess, tiheir sins before God. They had not thought 
about fighting against their enemies at this ! time. And now, when they 
saw the Philistines coming over the hills in line for a battle, they trem- 
bled. What could they do? They begged Samuel to pray for them in 
this great need. They knew God could help when they were helpless 
to defend themselves. And Samuel took a lamb and offered it as a 
burnt sacrifice to God, and prayed earnestly for help. And his prayer 
was heard. 

The Philistines did not get near enough to the helpless Israelites 
to use their swords and spears, for God sent a terrible thunder-storm, 
and so frightened them away. They dropped their weapons and ran 
in every direction, trying to find shelter from the storm. While they 
were seeking places to hide, the men of Israel ran out and picked up 
their weapons and chased them. They killed many, and drove the 
others back to their own land. 

This was a great) victory for the Israelites; and Samuel rejoiced 
with them. He set up a stone pillar on the battle-field and called it 
Ebenezer, which means, “The Stone of Help,” because God had so 
Wonderfully helped them. 


HOW SAMUEL JUDGED THE ISRAELITES 


211 


The Philistines did not return again into the land of Israel during 
the years that Samuel lived and judged the people. They even restored 
the cities which they had taken; away from the Israelites. 

Samuel was the last of the fifteen judges who ruled the people of 
Israel. He made his home at Ramah, and built an altar at that place. 
But often he went to other parts of the land to talk with the people 
about the Lord. When he grew too old to travel about so much, his 
two sons helped him judge the Israelites. They were not kind to the 
people as their father had always been. They would decide matters 
of dispute in favor of the persons who gave them money. And soon 
the people became dissatisfied with these money-loving rulers. 

For a long time some of the Israelites had wished to have a king 
rule over them, as their neighbors were ruled. And now they decided 
to tell Samuel what they wanted. So they sent their messengers to 
talk with Samuel at his home and] tell him how greatly they desired 
a king. 

Samuel was much displeased when he heard the request of the peo- 
ple. He had tried always to rule them as he believed would please the 
Lord, and now they were dissatisfied with his work. He told the Lord 
about the request of the people, and asked what he should do. And 
God said, “Let them have a king. They are not forsaking you when 
they ask for a king, but they are forsaking me. Now give them what 
they desire. Only warn them first of the sorrows that will come to them 
when a king is their ruler. ’ ’ 

Samuel told the people the words of the Lord. And he warned 
them carefully of the troubles that would come when a king should 
rule over them. Still they said, “We want a king.” And Samuel said, 
“Return to your homes, for God will give what you have asked.” 



PART FOURTH 


STORIES ABOUT THE THREE KINGS OF 
UNITED ISRAEL 

1 and 2 Samuel ; 1 Kings 1—12; 1 and 2 Chronicles 1—11 


STORY 1 

THE TALL MAN WHOM GOD CHOSE TO BECOME 
ISRAEL’S FIRST KING 

1 Samuel 9, 10 

Samuel did not look about for the man w^lio should become the 
first king of Israel. He waited until God should choose a man for the 
place. And then one day God spoke in his ear and said, “Tomorrow 
about this time I will send a man to you from the tribe of Benjamin, 
and I want you to anoint him to become the king of my people. He 
will be captain of their army, and he will save them from the Philis- 
tines.’ ’ 

This man whom God had chosen was named Saul. He was a young 
man, and his father’s name was Kish. His father was a very rich man. 
He owned wide fields and green pastures in the land of Benjamin, and 
many cattle and sheep and asses. 

One day some of Kish’s asses wandered away from his pasture 
and were lost in the woods. Where they went not one knew, so Kish 
sent Saul and a servant to look for them. And what a searching-time 
they had ! For two days they went from one place to another, hunting 
the lost asses; buti nowhere could they find a trace of them. Finally 
Saul said, “Let us return, for my father will thinks that we, too, are 
lost.” 

The servant did not, want to return until they had found the lost 
animals He said, “Let us first stop in this city near by and ask the 
man of God to tell us where our asses may be found. He is a prophet, 
and whatever he says always happens.” But Saul was unwilling to 
stop, because he had no present to give to the prophet. His servant, 
however, had a piece of money, and when Saul knew this he was ready 
to seek the man of God at once. 


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As the two men were climbing the hill leading to the city gate they 
met some young girls with empty pitchers, going out to draw 1 water. 
They asked the girls where they might find the man of God. And the 
girls told them that Samuel had come to worship God with the people 
there, and that the people had prepared a feast and were waiting at the 
place of sacrifice for him to ask a blessing upon the food before they 
should begin to eat. Saul and his servant hurried on, and in the gate 
they met an old man whom: they also asked where they might find the 
prophet. 

This old man was Samuel himself, and he had come to the gate 
to wait for Saul. He had never seen Saul before. But God told him 
that Saul was the one he promised to send from the land of Benjamin. 
And God caused Samuel to know what Saul was seeking. 

Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the prophet you are look- 
ing for. And today you must go with me to the feast that these people 
have made. Do not search any more for your father’s asses, which 
were lost three days ago, because they have been found. And now you 
are the man to whom all Israel is looking.” 

Saul was much surprized to hear Samuel’s words. He said, “I 
am a Benjamite, of the smallest tribe of Israel. Surely the people do 
not want me for their king. ’ ’ But Saul went with Samuel to the feast. 
And in the best room he sat at a table among the most important guests. 
Samuel ordered the best food to be set before Saul, and he told the 
young man that he had kept this food especially for him. 

After the feast, Samuel took Saul to a quiet place on a house-top 
and told him many things that would soon come to pass. And Saul 
wondered about these things. When SarA and his servant started home 
the next morning, Samuel walked a little way with them. And before 
he turned back Samuel asked the servant to go on ahead because he 
wished to speak tio Saul alone. Then he took some oil and poured it 
on Saul’s head, and kissed Saul, and said, “I am doing this because 
God has anointed you to become the captain of his people, the Israel- 
ites. ’ ’ 

Then Samuel gave three signs to Saul, that Saul might believe his 
words. He told him that two men would meet him at a certain place 
and tell him that his father’s asses had been found, and that his father 
was now sorrowing because Saul had not yet returned. Farther on 
three men would meet him, and they would give him two loaves of 
bread. And last of all, a company of prophets would meet him and he 
would join their company and prophesy with them. Samuel said that 
God would change Saul into a different man. And after these 


ISIRAEIL’S FIRST 1 KING 


215 


words Samuel turned back toward the city, and Saul journeyed on. 

The three signs that Samuel had given came to pass; and Saul’s 
heart was changed by the Spirit of God and he prophesied with the 
young men who met him on the way. Then he stopped with his servant 
at a place of sacrifice, and his uncle met him there. ‘ 4 Where have you 
been?” his uncle asked; and Saul told him about their search for his 
father ’s asses, and about his visit) with Samuel. But he did not tell 
that Samuel had anointed him to become Israel’s first king. 

Soon after these things had happened, Samuel sent messengers 
through the land to call all the men of Israel together at Mizpeh, the 
place where God had given them a great victory over the Philistines. 
And when they met together, Samuel talked to them about the wonder- 
ful ways God had blessed themj and helped them out of their troubles. 
He spoke to them about the things that God had done for their fathers 
and for their grandfathers long ago. “Now,” said he, “you are ask- 
ing for a king to rule over you instead of letting God be your ruler and 
king. You are not honoring God when you ask for a king; but God will 
give you the desire of your heart. He will choose for you a king today. ” 

And when the twelve tribes came before the Lord, the strong tribes 
passed by, and God did not choose any one among them. But from the 
weakest tribe he chose a family, and from that family he chose a man, 
and that man was Saul. 

Every one wished to see the man God had chosen, but Saul could 
not be found. He had hidden himself from the crowd. Then God told 
where he was hiding, and the people ran, and found him. They brought 
him out, and every one saw that God had chosen a handsome young 
man who stood head and shoulders taller than any other man in the 
crowd. And the people shouted with a loud cry, “God save the king!” 

Afterwards Samuel told the people what kind of kingdom they 
should have, and he wrote all his words in a book. Then he dismissed 
the assembly, and every man went) away to his owtn home. Saul, too, 
returned to his home at Gibeah, and a company of men who loved their 
new king went with him. 

But some of the people were not satisfied with the man God had 
chosen. They had wished to choose a man for themselves And they 
looked with anger upon Saul. These men were idol-worshipers, and 
they did not fear God. But Saul pretended not to notice their angry 
looks and their unkind actions. He went back quietly to work in his 
fields as he had been working before Samuel anointed him to become 
the ruler of his people. 


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STORY 2 

HOW THE EYES OF SOME OF SAUL’S PEOPLE WERE SAVED 

1 Samuel 11, 12 

Not, long after the meeting at Mizpeh, the Ammonites, a fierce peo- 
ple who lived neatf the desert country, came with their king, Nahasli, 
to fight against one of the cities of the Israelites. This city was Jabesh, 
on the east side of the Jordan River. 

The men of Jabesh knew they could not drive the Ammonites away. 
They thought, “It would be better for us to let the Ammonites rule 
over us than to try to fight against them, for they will kill us in the 
battle. We will send them a message and promise to serve them if 
only they will spare our lives.” 

Nahasli, the Ammonite king, sent this message back: “We will 
spare your lives ; but in seven days I will come with my soldiers and 
put out the right eyes of all your people.” 

This cruel threat filled the men of Jabesh with alarm. “We must 
have help from our people in other parts of the land,” they said. So 
they sent swift messengers across the Jordan River to Gibeah, the city 
where Saul lived. And the people of Gibeafi wept with a loud noise 
when they heard about the trouble, that had come upon the Jabeshites. 

Saul was just' returning from the field with his cattle when he 
heard the cry of his neighbors. He asked why they wept, and some one 
told him the message that had come from Jabesh. Until this time Saul 
had behaved quietly, as he did before lie had been anointed to be the 
captain of the Lord's people; but now the spirit of a king stirred his 
soul and he prepared at once to help the distressed Israelites on the 
other side of the Jordan River. First he killed two oxen and divided 
their bodies' into twelve parts. Then lie sent one part to each of the 
twelve tribes, with this message: “Whoever will not come out to fight 
with Saul and Samuel, his oxen shall be cut in pieces.” 

Everywhere the soldiers of Israel left their homes and came hur- 
rying to Saul, and soon he had a very large army. Together they 
marched across the hills of Beniamin till they came to the Jordan 
River. Here they waded through the water and climbed the bank on 
the other side. Before very many hours’ marching they came upon 
the army of the Ammonites. 

From morning until noonday they fought against these cruel peo- 
ple, and many of the Ammonites ran away. Saul’s army destroyed 
the others, and the men of Jabesh were saved from much suffering. 
Nahasli did not return again to fight against the Israelites. 


HOW THE EYES OF SAUL’S PEOPLE WERE SAVED 217 

After this victory the Israelites crossed the River again, and they 
stopped at the place where their fathers had camped long ago, when 
first they entered the land of Canaan. The name of this place, you 
remember, was Gil gal. Here they sacrificed to the Lord, and here 
Samuel gave up his rule as a judge over them; he gave it to King Saul, 
who from this time would be their leader. But Samuel continued to be 
a prophet among the people and to give them warning from God. 

Idle Israelites were now well pleased with their King. They saw 
that he was brave, and they praised him. They Wanted to kill the 
wicked men who were angry because God had chosen Saul to be their 
king. But Saul did not permit them to harm those men. He said, ‘ 1 No 
man shall be put to death today, for God has given us this great vic- 
tory. ’ ’ 

Many of the soldiers who had come ait Saul’s command to fight 
for the men of Jabesh had left their fields of wheat almost ripe enough 
to gather in the grain. At this time of year rain seldom fell in their 
land, and so the sky above them was clear and cloudless on this day. 

While the people were all rejoicing together with their new King 
at Gilgal, Samuel stood near by looking on with sad eyes. How he 
pitied these people who had refused to let God rule over them any 
longer ! Now he felt that he must give them one more warning. 

Samuel began his warning by reminding the people that he had 
given them what they asked for. “Now,” said lie, “your king walks 
before you; and I am old and gray-headed. I have lived among you 
since a child, and you know my life. Tell me, have I ever judged you 
wrongly?” 

The people answered, “No.” 

‘ i Have I ever taken away your oxen, or your asses? ’ ’ asked Sam- 
uel. And again the people leplied tliati he had not. 

“Have I ever taken gifts of money from you when you wanted me 
to be unfair with your neighbor?” he asked. “If I have, now* I will 
restore those gifts to you. ’ ’ But no one could accuse Samuel of having 
done wrong while he judged them. 

“Now,” said Samuel, “the Lord is witness to this truth against 

you. 

And all the people answered, “He is witness.” 

Samuel then told the people that God had cared for them as a 
father cares for his own children ; that he had even delivered them 
from their cruel enemies after they had turned away from him to serve 
idols. He reminded them of the victories that God had given to their 
fathers when Gideon and Jephthah ruled over them as judges. He 


218 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


told them how God wanted to bei their King. Bje showed them how 
greatly they had sinned against God when they had asked for a man 
to< be their king. 

Still God! was not ready to leave them alone and helpless before 
their enemies if Jhey would serve him and, with their king, obey his 
commands. But if they would turn away from serving God and from 
listening to his voice, ^then even their king should not be able to save 
them. All these words Samuel spoke in their hearing, and then he 
said, i ‘ See, God will now do a great thing before your eyes. I will call 
upon him : , and he will send thunder and rain, to show you that your 
wickedness is great in asking for a king.” 

When Samuel prayed, the sky suddenly grew dark with heavy 
clouds, and the thunder roared so loudly that the men became afraid. 
The rain fell fast, and the thunder continued to> roar. Great fear came 
into the hearts of these men who only a short time before were rejoic- 
ing with their new King, Saul. Now they were afraid of God, and of 
Samuel, his prophet. They cried, “Pray for us, thati we shall not be 
killed by this storm; for we have sinned more against God than our 
fathers. We added to their sins when we asked for a kins*.” 

Samuel comforted the people by telling them that God would not 
destroy them if they would be careful to serve him. He said, ‘ ‘ It has 
pleased the Lord to make you his people.” And Samuel promised to 
pray for them as long as he should live, and always to teach them the 
good and the right Way. 


STORY 3 

KING SAUL AND HIS PEOPLE IN TROUBLE 

1 Samuel 13 

After Saul had been King over Israel for two years, he chose three 
thousand soldiers to be ready at any time for a battle. He took two 
thousand with him to a place called Michmiash, and left one thousand 
with his son Jonathan, at Gibeah. 

Now, the Philistines had begun to cause much trouble again in 
the land of Israel. They were not at all afraid of King Saul. They 
even placed some of their soldiers! in forts, or garrisons, throughout 
the land, and those soldiers, instead of Saul, ruled the Israelites. 

Not far from Gibeah, on a hill, was a^ ruling Philistine garrison. 
Jonathan and his soldiers fought against that garrison and drove the 
Philistines away. Then the other Philistines heard what Jonathan 


KING SAUL AND HIS PEOPLE IN TROUBLE, 


219 


had done and they became angry. They gathered a very large army 
of thousands of chariots and horsemen and came to fight against King 
Saul. 

The Israelites had believed that if only they had a king like other 
nations they could drive all their enemies away. Now God had allowed 
them to have a king ; but their enemies were troubling them as much as 
before. The Philistines had even taken away their swords and spears 
and would not let them make any more weapons. Only a few of! the 
men of Israel were prepared to fight. 

King Saul sent swiift messengers through the land to call the sol- 
diers of every tribe together. Because he was King, they came when 
he called; hut they came trembling with fear of the Philistines. They 
knew they could not fight without weapons even if they had a king 
to lead them out to battle. 

When Samuel heard about the trouble, he sent word to King Saul 
that he would come and offer sacrifices to God at Gilgal and pray for 
the King and for his people. Then God would show him what they 
should do. 

King Saul and his men hurried to Gilgal to meet Samuel ; but 
when they arrived he was not there. They waited for several days; 
still he did not come. All the time the Philistines kept sending more 
soldiers to their camp, until it seemed that their numbers could not 
he counted. Saul’s men became more frightened than ever. Some 
of them began to steal away and to cross over the Jordan River, to 
hide in the country} on the east side, where two and one half of the 
tribes lived. Others hid in caves, and in thickets near by, and some 
crept in among the rocks or crawled into deep holes in the ground. 

Finally Saul became afraid that all his men would leave him. So, 
instead of waiting longer for Samuel, he offered a burnt sacrifice upon 
the altar at Gilgal just as Samuel would have done. Now God had 
forbidden any one except his priest si or the Levites to offer a sacri- 
fice, and although Saul was King of Israel, God did not want him to do 
such a thing. 

While the sacrifice was yet burning, Samuel arrived, and when he 
saw what Saul had done he was much displeased. He asked, “Why 
have you done this?” and Saul replied, “Because my people were 
afraid and were scattering to different parts of the land, and you were 
so long coming I feared the Philistines would attack us before you should 
arrive. I was forced tio do this thing.” 

Samuel knew that Saul was not forced to disobey God. He knew 
the King was trying to make an excuse for his wrong-doing. And he 


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said, “You have acted foolishly, for you have not kept the command- 
ment of the Lord. And because of your disobedience, some day God 
will take away the kingdom from you and give it to another man who 
will obey him. ” 

Instead of telling Saul what to do about the Philistines, Samuel 
turned and went away. Then Saul counted his soldiers and found 
that only six hundred were still with him. He marched with them back 
to his old home at Gibeah, where Jonathan had been stationed at the 
first, and the Philistines camped near Michmash. 


STORY 4 

HOW THE FAITH OF A BRAVE YOUNG PRINCE BROUGHT A 
GREAT VICTORY 

1 Sam. 14: 1-46 

Under a pomegranate-tree at the edge^of Gibeah farthest from the 
Philistines’ camp sat the King of Israel talking with the grandson of 
the high priest Eli. They werei talking about the ark of God, which 
had been taken away from Shiloh to a battle against the Philistines when 
Samuel, the gray-headed old prophet, was only a young man. How 
many changes had come to Israel since that sad day when the ark of 
God had been stolen! And still the Philistines were fighting against 
the Israelites, and still they were ruling them. 

While King Saul and his . companion were talking together, two 
men from Saul’s army slipped quietly away. They were Jonathan, 
Saul’s son, and the young man who carried Jonathan’s shield and 
sword and spear. Jonathan had said, “Come, let us go over to the 
Philistines’ camp. It may be that the Lord will work for us; for he 
can save his people by a few as easily as by many soldiers.” Jonathan 
had strong faith in God, and lie was a brave young man. His armor- 
bearer, too, was brave, so they started out together, telling no one of 
their plan. 

God was well pleased with Jonathan, and he caused the Philistines 
to become afraid of the young Prince. In a very short time he and his 
armor-bearer had killed twenty men. Then God sent a great trem- 
bling among the Philistines, and the ground shook beneath their feet. 
Things began to totter and fall, and the Philistines believed that a strong 
enemy had come suddenly to fight against them. They heard the cries 
of those whom Jonathan and his armor-bearer were killing, and now 
they seized their weapons and made ready to fight. 


HOW A YOUNG PRINCE BROUGHT A VICTORY 


221 


But instead of attacking their enemies, the Philistines began to 
fight against each other. And the cry of the battle rang out across 
the valley and reached the city of Gibeah. 

King Saul had appointed some men to watch the camp of the enemy 
by day and by night, and to* be ready to send him word whenever the 
Philistines were forming a line for battle. When the watchmen saw the 
excitement in the Philistines ’ camp, they sent messengers to tell him 
that something strange was happening to their enemies. “Men are 
stirring about in every direction,” the messenger said, “and some are 
falling and others are running away.” 

Sa.ul called his soldiers together quickly and counted them to see 
if any had gone from them. Then he saw that Jonathan and his armor- 
bearer were massing. So he and the other men prepared for battle 
and ran out to join in the fight. Then, too, the Israelites who had been 
hiding in caves and in tliickets among the rocks crept out to see what 
this noise meant. And then they hurried out to join in the fight against 
the Philistines. 

And what a fight they had ! The Philistines, their strong enemies, 
now ran like cowards from the battle and intOj the woods. The men 
of Israel chased after them like swarms of angry bees. And as they 
ran other Israelites came out to join in the chase. 

But after a while the men of Israel grew very faint and weak be- 
cause they had eaten no food all that day. Saul had commanded them 
to eat no food until evening, because he did not want to stop long enough 
in the chase to take a bite. If any man should disobey him, that man 
should be put to death, he had said. And because the soldiers feared 
Saul they would not eat. They grew so faint from the chase that many 
of their enemies got away, whom they might have overtaken and killed. 

Jonathan did not know about his father’s command, and as he 
was passing through the woods with a band of men he found some wild 
honey and ate of it. Then one of his companions said, “Your father 
forbade us to- touch food before evening.” But it was too late, for 
Jonathan had already eaten. 

When Saul heard about Jonathan’s act, he said, “You have dis- 
obeyed, and now I must keep my word even though you are my son. 
I must put you to death.” 

But the people who stood by refused to let their King do such a 
cruel deed. They cried, “God forbid that Jonathan should be killed 
for this act. Was not God with him today when he brought us this 
great victory over our enemies!” And they saved the young Prince 
alive. 


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BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 5 

HOW SIN ROBBED SAUL OF HIS KINGDOM 

1 Sam. 14:47-15:35 

The Philistines stiayed in their own country, by the sea-coast, after 
they had been driven away from Michmash, and King Saul went out 
to fight against other nations who had been troubling the Israelites. 
God helped him to be victorious in those battles, and his soldiers began 
to honor him as a brave leader. 

All Hie while King Saul kepti a close watch over the Israelites, and 
whenever he saw a strong-looking young man who acted bravely in 
the presence of danger he took that young man and placed him in his 
regular army. In this manner he kept making his army larger and 
stronger, and finally he chose Abner, his cousin, to become the cap- 
tain of it. 

But when everything began to go nicely, King Saul seemed to for- 
get that God had given the kingdom to hirp and that he could easily 
take it away again. Instead of always being careful to obey all of 
God’s commands, Saul allowed a feeling of pride to creep into his 
heart and to crowd out some of the fear of God. He allowed wrong 
thoughts to enter his mind and to make him believe that he was wise 
enough to decide for himself whati was the right thing to do. 

While these changes Were going on in the King’s heart, one day a 
message came to him from God. Samuel, the gray-headed old prophet, 
came to him and said, “God wants you to take your army and go out 
to battle against the Amjalekites. Those are the wicked people who 
f oughti against Moses and the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, 
and God has not forgotten their sin. Because they have continued to 
do wrong, now God wants you to destroy them all. Not one must you 
save alive, nor even their oxen and sheep and camels and asses must 
you keep for yourselves; for God commands that they all be killed.” 

Saul gathered an army of two hundred and ten thousand men and 
started for Amalek at once. And he sent messengers to the Kenites 
who lived among the Amalekites, telling them to leave the country, 
because God was going to punish their neighbors. The Kenites had 
been kind to the Israelites when they came from Egypt, and now Saul 
and his soldiers were kind to them. 

When the battle began, Saul’s army fought bravely and destroyed 
all the Amalekites except the king, Agag, Whom Saul took to a safe 
place. Then after the battle ended Saul and the soldiers looked about) 


HOW SIN ROBBED SAUL OF HIS KINGDOM 


223 


upon the flocks and herds that had belonged to the Amalekites, and 
they saw many valuable cattle and sheep and playful little lambs. 
4 ‘We will save the best,” they said, “and kill the others.” So they 
returned again to the land of Israel, bringing Agag, the king of the 
Amalekites, and the best of the cattle and sheep and lambs. 

God told Samuel what Saul had done, that he had dared to disobey 
the command given, and Samuel knew that Saul had turned away 
from serving God. Sorrow filled the heart of the old prophet, and he 
wept and prayed all night. Early the next morning he rose and started 
out to meet the returning King of Israel. 

When Saul saw the prophet coming, he thought), “I will tell him 
that I have obeyed the Lord ’s command, and he need not know that 
King Agag is yet alive and that we have saved the best of the flocks 
and herds. We have obeyed nearly all of God’s command, and it would 
have been too bad to destroy the best things. ’ ’ 

But Samuel could not be fooled so easily. The pleasant words of 
greeting from the King did not hide the traces of a guilty conscience 
upon the King’s face. Saul had done wrong, and now he was trying 
to cover up his sin and to make Samuel believe that he had done all of 
God’s command. “I have performed the commandment of the Lord,” 
he said ; but the old prophet’s keen eyes looked straight into his. ‘ ‘ Then 
what is the meaning of the noise of bleating sheep and lowing cattle 
that I hear?” 

“Those have been spared to sacrifice to the Lord,” answered the 
King. “They were the best of the flocks and herds, and my soldiers 
thought it would be better to keep them alive. So we have brought 
them, to sacrifice to God.” 

Now, Saul was trying tio place the blame for the disobedience upon 
his soldiers ; but Samuel understood that Saul himself was the guilty 
one. Poor Saul! he had forgotten how God spoke often to Samuel, 
telling of things that would happen. He had forgotten thati he could 
not fool the prophet of Israel. 

Samuel told Saul what God had spoken to him that night. Still 
Saul tried tio excuse himself and blame his soldiers for sparing the best 
things; but Samuel told him plainly that God had turned away from 
him. “It is better to obey God than to sacrifice to God,” said the old 
prophet. 

“I have sinned,” cried the King at last), “because I feared the peo- 
ple and obeyed their voice.” Not yet was he willing to admit that he 
sinned by his own choice. He wanted Samuel to forgive him ; but Sam- 
uel turned to go away. Then Saul caught hold of Samuel’s mantle 


224 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


and tore it, and Samuel said, “The Lord lias torn the kingdom of Israel 
away from you today and lias given it to your neighbor, who is a bet- 
ter man. ’ ’ 

Because of Saul’s earnest request that lie should worship with him 
at Grilgal, Samuel went this last time With the King whom God had 
rejected and offered saerifice upon the altar at Gilgaf for the sins of 
the people. Then he called for Agag to be brought, out before the peo- 
ple, and there he killed the wicked ruler, whos«* life ' Saul had wished 
tio save. After doing this, he returned to his own home at Ramah, and 
never again visited Saul. He mourned and wept as if Saul had died, 
because he knew God would not bless Israel while Saul ruled over them. 


STORY 6 

WHY GOD SENT SAMUEL TO BETHLEHEM 

1 Sam. 16:1-13 

When Samuel returned to Ramali from Gil gal, perhaps he thought 
that his work on earth was ended. No longer could lie carry messages 
from God to Israel’s King, because God had rejected Saul and would 
send no more messages to him!. So Samuel laid aside his: cane and 
wept, not because liis work had ended, but because Saul had proved 
himself unworthy tio be the leader of God’s people'. 

As the days passed by, Samuel’s sorrow for Saul did not cease, 
and his gray head bowed lower upon his breast. Finally God spoke 
to him, and said, “How long will you mourn for this unworthy man 
whom I have rejected as the ruler of my people! Now I have chosen 
another to take his place.” 

Samuel raised his head and listened to God’s voice. Then his trem- 
bling hands reached again for the cane he had thrown aside, for God 
gave him some more work to 'do- before he should die. “Fill your 
empty horn with oil,” God said; “for I am going to send you to Beth- 
lehem to anoint the one whom I have chosen to be Israel’s king in place 
of Saul.” 

At first Samuel feared to go. He said, “Saul will hear of it, and 
he will surely kill me.” But God told him to take an offering for a 
sacrifice and prepare a feast for the people of Bethlehem, then to invite 
an old man named Jesse, who lived near the city, to come with his 
sons to the feast. “One of his sons I have chosen,” the Lord said, 
“and I will tell you which one of them shall be Israel’s next king.” 


WHY GOD SENT SAMUEL TO BETHLEHEM 


225 



BETHLEHEM, THE PLACE WHERE DAVID ONCE LIVED 





226 


BIBLEI-STOBY BOOK 


Samuel was no longer afraid to obey God. He rose from his 
place of weeping and filled his empty horn with oil. Then he took a 
meat-offering and started toward Bethlehem. 

When the rulers of the city saw Samuel coming toward them they 
were afraid. They asked, “Why have you come?” Samuel told them 
that he had come to worship God at that place ; and when they saw his 
offering for the sacrifice they made themselves ready to enjoy the 
feast that would follow. And Samuel invited Jesse and his sons to 
attend the feast, too. 

Now Jesse had eight sons, but only seven came to the feast. The 
youngest was not yet grown to manhood, and he kept his father’s sheep 
in the fields outside the city. When Eliab, the eldest son of Jesse, came, 
Samuel thought, ‘ 4 Surely this must be the man whom God has chosen. ’ 9 
For Eliab was a tall, handsome young man, and Samuel was pleased 
with his appearance. 

But God said, “This is not the man. You are judging by the 
outward appearance; I am looking at the heart.” 

Jesse then brought his other sons to Samuel, and one by one they 
passed before the prophet. But Samuel shook his head and said, “God 
has chosen none of these. Have you no other son?” 

And Jesse replied, “I have one more, but I did not bring him to 
the feast. He is my youngest, and he is now in the field caring for my 
sheep . 9 9 

Samuel told Jesse to send for the shepherd-boy at once, because 
God had chosen him to do a great work. And they waited while a mes- 
senger hurried away to bring the lad to Samuel. 

David, the shepherd-boy, was surprized to see a messenger run- 
ning toward him from over the hills near Bethlehem. He knew a 
religious feast was being held that day in the city, for his father and 
his brothers had been invited to attend. And when he lefti them early 
in the morning they were making preparations to go. Now he won- 
dered what had happened that they should be sending word to him 
out in the field alone with the sheep. Had some one been killed? or 
were the Philistines coming to fight against their city? 

David rose quickly and drew his shepherd-coat about him. Then, 
picking up his rod, he hurried to meet the breathless runner. “You 
are wanted in Bethlehem at once,” gasped the runner. “Samuel, the 
old prophet, wishes to see you, and your father has sent word that you 
must leave your sheep and come in hastie.” 

Samuel waited patiently, andjwhen at last a rosy-cheeked, bright- 
eyed youth, clad in a shepherd’s garb, entered the room, the Lord said to 


WHY JESSIE SENT DAVID TO VISIT KINO SAUL 227 


Samuel, i 1 Arise and anoint this youth, for he is the one whom I have 
chosen. ’ ’ Soi Samuel poured oil from his horn upon the head of David, 
as God had commanded. And the shepherd-boy understood by thati act 
that God had chosen him to become some day the leader of Israel. 

After the feast had ended, Samuel returned again to Ramah, and 
he did not grieve any more about Saul. He knew God had chosen a 
better person to sit upon the throne of Israel. 


STORY 7 

WHY JESSE SENT DAVID TO VISIT KING SAUL 

1 Sam. 16 : 14— 17 : 15 

Saul did not take off his kingly robes and lay aside his crown when 
Samuel told him that God had rejected him from being king of Israel. 
He tried to act as if nothing had happened, and he kept on ruling the 
people. As long as he lived he ruled them. 

So David did not become king ati once after Samuel anointed him. 
He returned again to the fields near Bethlehem to watch his father’s 
sheep. But God sent his Spirit upon David’s heart that day, and after- 
wards David thought much about God. One day he wrote a beautiful 
poem, which we call the twenty-third Psalm In the first verse of this 
poem he said, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” He 
believed that just as tenderly as he cared for his sheep, so the Lord 
cared for him 1 . 

As a shepherd-boy David lived much in the out-of-doors, and he 
learned to love the countoy scenes. The hills and valleys, the trees, 
grasses, and flowers all reminded him of the God who had made them. 
And many times as he looked at these things he felt gladness in his 
heart and he sang for joy. 

David sang so well that in later years he was called the Sweet 
Singer of Israel. He also played well on a stringed instrument called 
a harp. 

After Saul refused tio obey God’s words, God took away the good 
spirit which he had given to him. And a bad spirit came to trouble 
him. Sometimes^this spirit made Saul feel very unhappy, and he would 
act strangely, as if he did not know what he was trying to do. At such 
times if he could hear sweet music the bad spirit would go away, and 
Saul would feel cheerful again. 

One day the servants who waited on Sau! told him that it might 


228 


BIBLErSTORY BOOK 


be well if he could have a musician brought to the palace. Then when- 
ever the evil spirit should trouble him and cause unhappy feelings to 
enter his heart), the musician could play, and thus drive the sadness 
away. Saul believed this plan would be a good one to try, so he comr 
manded his servants to find a musician and bring him to the palace. 

One of the servants had lived in the land of Judah, and had known 
Jesse, the Bethlehemite, and his sons. He had often heard David play 
on his harp, and he had thought David’s music would surely please the 
King. Now he told Saul about) David, the shepherd-boy, who played 
on the harp and sang so sweetly. And Saul sent at once to Jesse, ask- 
ing him to let David come to Gibeah to visit the King’s palace. 

Jesse called David from, the field and told him about the King’s 
message. Then he prepared a gift and sent it with his son to the 
King’s house. And David came to see Saul, and he stood before Saul, 
with the other servants. 

Not long afterwards a second message came to Jesse from the 
King. This time Saul asked Jesse to let him keep David with him 
for a while, because he was well pleased with him. 

Saul did not know that David had been anointed to become king in 
his place. If he had known this he would have been jealous of David, 
and he might have even tried to kill him. Because he did not know, 
he listened often to the soft, sweet music that David made with his 
harp, and he felt glad again. After a while the evil spirit did not) seem 
to trouble him at all, and then he allowed David to return again to his 
father’s home at Bethlehem. 


STORY 8 

HOW DAVID KILLED THE GIANT GOLIATH 

1 Sam. 17 : 1-54 

The Philistines began to trouble Israel again, and they prepared 
to fight) against King Saul and his army. They marched into the land 
of Israel and pitched their tents along the side of a mountain. King 
Saul and his soldiers made their camp across the valley from the Phil- 
istines, on the side of another mountain. 

But the battle did not begin at once. The Philistines did not seem 
to be eager to fight. They sent one of their soldiers out into the val- 
ley to talk to the men of Saul’s army. This soldier was a giant, and 
his name was Goliath. He called to the men of Israel and said, “Why 
have you come out to fight a battle with the Philistines! I am 1 a Phil- 


HOW DAVID KILLED THE GIANT GOLIATH 


229 


i stine. Now choose one of your men and send himi to fight with me. 
If I kill him, then you shall become our servants ; but if he kills me, then 
my people will become your servants/’ 

But the men of Israel wjere afraid of Goliath. None of them would 
dare to go out to fight against him. How frightful he looked as he stood 
in the valley before them, nearly twice as tall as an ordinary man! 
Even the tall King of Israel, who stood head and shoulders higher 
than any of his soldiers, would have looked small beside this mighty 
giant. 

Every morning and every evening Goliath would come out into 
the valley between the two camps, walking with long steps, and there 
he would call to the Israelite soldiers. And every morning and every 
evening the men of Israel would tremble when they saw him coming. 
Forty days passed by, and still the Philistines waited for King Saul 
to send some one tio fight against their champion. 

While this was happening, David was busy at home caring for 
his father’s sheep, as he had been before he went to visit King Saul. 
One day while he was wlatching them he saw a lion spring out of the 
woods and snatch a little lamb. He hurried after the lion and tried to 
save the lamb. Then the lion became angry and dropped the lamb, and 
turned to attack David. But God gave wonderful strength to the shep- 
herd-boy, and he seized hold of the lion’s beard, and killed him. An- 
other day a hungry bear came out of the woods and stole a lamb. Again 
David ran fearlessly to rescue the lamb and God helped him to kill 1 the 
thief. 

Three of David’s brothers were soldiers in Saul’s army. Jesse, 
their old father, thought often of them and wondered how they were 
getting along. One day he called David from the field and told him 
to get ready to visit his brothers in the camp of Israel. “Take this 
parched corn and these ten loaves of bread to them,” he said, “and 
take these cheeses to their captain. Learn for me how your brothers 
are getting along, and bring back the message which they send.” Jesse 
did not know that when he should send David away this time his son 
would never come back again to take care of his sheep. 

Bright and early the nexti morning David started out on this errand 
to the camp of Israel. When he reached the place, the sun had risen 
in the sky, and the soldiers were forming a line for battle. The Phil- 
istines were also forming a line, ready to begin the fight. David ran 
quickly to find his brothers, and to tell them abouti their father’s gift, 
which he had brought to them and to) their captain. 

While the brothers were talking together, suddenly the soldiers 


230 


BIBLE-STOKY BOOK 


around them looked anxiously toward the enemy’s camp. Their faces 
grew pale with fright. As David turned about to see the cause for 
their alarm, he wondered, “What can this mean?” And this is what 
he saw: 

A tall giant, the giant Goliath, dressed in clothes that were covered 
with pieces of brass so that no sward could touch his body, was coming 
toward the camp of Israel again. On his head he was wearing a hel- 
met of brass that fitted closely, like a hood. Goliath knew the soldiers 
of Israel were afraid of him, and he called loudly tio them as he had 



DAVID KILLING THE LION 


been doing every morning and every evening for forty days. And 
David heard his voice ring out like an angry peal of thunder, and he 
saw the soldiers of King Saul turn and run away like frightened sheep. 

When David saw these things, the Spirit of God stirred his heart 
and filled him with courage. “Why should this wicked Philistine trou- 
ble us?” he asked, bravely. “I will go out and kill him.'” The sol- 
diers who stood near were surprized to hear David’s words. They 


HOW DAVID KILLED THE GIANT GOLIATH 


231 


told him how Goliath had been coming out for many days, and how 
frightened they were of him. But David was firm in his belief that 
God would give him strength to kill such a wicked man, and the soldiers 
ran to tell King Saul. 

Eliab was much displeased when he heard David talk thus with 
the soldiers, and he called his brother aside and asked, 4 4 Why have you 
left those sheep in the field and come out here to see the battle ?” 

But David answered, 4 4 What have I done that you should be 
angry with me!” Then a messenger camje from King Saul, calling 
for David, and he hurried away to speak with the King. 

Saul had not seen David for some time. And he had never before 
seen him dressed in the clothes of a shepherd. Now he did not know 
him. How disappointed he felt when he saw only a shepherd-boy come 
before him, with no weapons at all ! But David spoke bravely to him 
and said, 4 4 Do not be afraid any longer of this giant. I will go out 
and kill him.” 

4 4 You are only a youth,” answered Saul, 4 4 and you are not strong 
enough to fight against such a mighty soldier as this Philistine giant. ’ ’ 

But David told him how he had killed both a lion and a bear while 
caring for his father’s sheep, and he said, 4 4 This giant shall be as one 
of them, for he has dared to speak mockingly of God’s people, and 
God will give him over into my hands.” Then Saul was ready to let 
David go to fight the giant ; for he saw that David had faith to believe 
God would help his people. 

But David had no armor and no shield to protect his body from 
the giant’s sword. He had no soldier-clothes at all. So Saul took off 
his armor and dressed David in it, and puti his helmet upon David’s 
head. Then he gave his sword to David, and the shepherd-boy looked 
like a grand soldier, dressed up in the' clothes of a king. 

4 4 Now you are ready,” said Saul. 

But David replied, 4 4 1 can not go with these clothes and with this 
sword. I have never used them before, and I am not prepared to fight 
with them.” So he took them off, and picked up his shepherd’s staff 
and ran down to the brook near by to find some smooth stones. These 
he put into his shepherd’s bag, and then he took out his leather sling 
and started to meet the gianti. 

Goliath Was much surprized when he saw David coming toward 
him with no weapons. He became very angry; for he thought the 
Israelites were making fun of him. He said, 4 4 Am I a dog, that you 
have come to fight againsti me with that staff?” And he cursed David 
by the gods of the Philistines, and cried out, 4 4 Come to me, and I will 




232 


BIBL&STORY BOOK 



DAVID GATHERING STONES FROM THE BROOK 


HOW DAVID KILLED THE GIANT GOLIATH 


233 


soon tear you in pieces and will give your flesh to the birds and to the 
wild beasts.” 

But David called back, “You have come to me with a sword, and 
with a spear, and with a shield ; but I come to you in the name of the 
Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you have mocked. 
Today the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and the flesh of the 
soldiers of the Philistines will become meat for the birds and for the 
wild beasts, that all people who hear of this may know that there is a 
God in Israel. And all people will know that the true God does not 
save With swords and spears. ’ 9 

Then David ran forward and took a stone from his bag and placed 
it in his sling and threw it fiercely at the giant. And the stone hit the 
giant in his forehead, stunning him so that he fell face downward upon 
the ground. What a crash rang 
through the valley as Goliath’s 
heavy armor struck the earth! 

Then David hurried to the place 
where the giant lay. 

The Philistines did not wait 
to see what would happen next ; 
for now they knew God was help- 
ing the men of Israel, and they 
turned to run back to their own 
land. They did not even wait 
to take down their tents and to 
gather their belongings togeth- 
er, but every one of them started 
outi a/ fast as he could go. And 
Saul’s army chased after them, 
and followed them to their own country. When Saul and his men came 
back, they took everything that the Philistines had left in their tents. 
And there was great rejoicing that day among the men of Israel, for 
they knew God had delivered them from their strong enemies. 



234 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 9 

HOW SAUL BECAME DAVID’S ENEMY 

1 Sam. 17:55-18:30 

When David went out to fight against Goliath, few 1 of the men in 
Saul’s army knew him. Even the King himself wondered where this 
brave young shepherd had come from. He asked Abner, the captain 
of his army; but Abner had never met David before. As tihey two 
watched David approach the giant so fearlessly and overcome him so 
easily, the King told Abner that he must find out whose son this brave 
young man was. 

Jonathan was standing near his father when David returned from 
killing the giant. And Abner met David and brought him to the King. 
“Whose son are you?” asked Saul. 

And David replied, “I am the son of Jesse, your servant, who is 
a Bethlehemite. ’ ’ Perhaps Saul remembered then how this same hand- 
some youth stood before him and played beautifully on a harp when 
the evil spirit used to trouble him. Now he would not let David go 
back to Bethlehem to care for his father’s sheep any longer. He needed 
brave young men like that to be in his army, so he kept David, and 
gave him the command of one thousand soldiers. And he said that 
hereafter David should live in his palace at Gibeah. 

Jonathan was glad when he heard Ms father’s words to David; 
for he loved the rosy-cheeked young shepherd and he wished to become 
his friend. He took off his princely robe and gave it to David, and he 
also gave him his sword and his bow. Then he promised David that 
day always to love him; and David was pleased to have the prince of 
Israel speak so kindly to him. In later years he realized that God had 
caused Jonathan to love him so dearly, and he thanked God for giving 
him such a noble friend. 

When Saul made David to be captain over a thousand men, the 
soldiers loved their brave young leader. They were ready to go any- 
where With him to battle, for they saw that God was with him. The 
servants of Saul also were pleased when David came to live at the 
palace. Everywhere David went the people loved him. 

But David soon found out that he had one enemy. Saul, the King, 
began tio look unkindly upon him. You remember that after Saul had 
disobeyed God an evil spirit began to trouble him. This evil spirit 
came at different times to m(ake him feel unhappy. And now, after 
the great victory over the Philistines, when Saul was returning from 


HOW S'AUL BECAME DAVID’S ENEMY 


235 


the battle-field with David and t(he other soldiers this evil spirit began 
to trouble him again. The women of Israel came out of the cities to 
meet the returning army and they played on three-stringed instru- 
ments and danced for joy, because God had given Israel the victory. 
They sang wiords like these: 

“Saul has slain his thousands, 

And David his ten thousands. ” 

King Saul was displeased with this song. He saw that the women 
were giving greater praise to David than to him, and a jealous feeling 
crept into his heart. Perhaps he remembered Samuel’s words, that 


KING SAUL THROWING HIS SPEAR AT DAVID 

God would take the kingdom from him and give it) to a better man 
than he. Now he saw that God vflas with David, and he began to hate 
David. The evil spirit returned to trouble him more than ever. 

On the next day David played on his harpi before the King again. 
But this time the beautiful mrusic only made Saul unhappier. He took 
his javelin, or spear, and threw it at David, intending to kill him. But 
David saw it and stepped aside quickly, and the javelin did not touch 
him. Twice Saul threw the spear at him, and both times David escaped 
being harmed with it. Then Saul was sure that God was with the young 
man, and he felt afraid of David. He wlanted to kill him, but he feared 
to try any more. 



236 


BIBLE, -STORY BOOK 


Now, Saul had two daughters, and this; gave him the thought of 
another plan to get rid of David. He called the young man to him and 
said, “I am going to send you out again tioi fight against the Philistines. 
If you will fight bravely and defeat them, I will give my elder daughter 
to become your wife when you return.” 

David answered that he was not worthy to become son-in-law to the 
King ; but he hurried away to the battle-field, glad that he could prove 
himself a brave man. 

Now, Saul hoped that the Philistines would surely kill David, be- 
cause he had killed their giant ; but David returned unharmed and with 
greater honors as a captain. And the people praised him more than 
ever. But David found that) Saul had not kept his promise ; for Merab, 
the King’s daughter, had become the wife of another man. 

Then Saul heard that his younger daughter, Michal, loved David, 
and he thought again that he might get rid of him by sending him out 
to fight against the Philistines. This time he said that David should 
kill one hundred of the Philistines. 

David knew it would be an honor to become son-in-law to the king, 
and he knew that Michal loved him. So he called his soldiers and hur- 
ried quickly to do as Saul had bidden him. And he killed tw;o hundred 
instead of one hundred men. When he returned safely again, Saul 
kept his promise and gave Michal to be his wife. But he feared David 
more than ever, and tried to think of some other plan by which to 
destroy this one who he believed would some day take his throne. 


STORY 10 

HOW JONATHAN AND MICHAL SAVED DAVID’S LIFE 

1 Sam. 19:1-20:2 

Wrong thoughts, like weeds, will quickly grow 
When in one’s mind they’re given place, 

And soon their ugly selves will show 
To bring their owner much disgrace. 

At first King Saul had tried to- cover up his wrong thoughts about 
David. He had tried to act friendly at the very time when he was plan- 
ning some way to cause David’s death. But those plans failed, and he 
was disappointed. 

Then Saul grew bolder. He had allowed the wrong thoughts to re- 
main so long in his mind that they had become too big to cover up. 


HOW JONATHAN AND MICHAL SAVED DAVID ’S LIFE 237 

So he called Jonathan and his servants and told them that they should 
kill David. 

How sad J onathan felt when he heard this ! He loved David and 
he was grieved to see his father becoming so jealous and hateful toward 
him. Instead of trying to kill David he ran to him and said, ‘Wou must 
hide quickly, lest one of my father’s servants kill you. He is seeking 
your life.” Jonathan promised to speak to his father to try tio per- 
suade him to think kindly toward David. “If he will listen to my 
words,” said Jonathan, “I will send and bring you again to the pal- 
ace. ’ ’ 

David felt very thankful to Jonathan for his kindness, and he ran 
away to hide in a safe place outiside the city. After he had gone, 
Jonathan spoke to his father about David, and reminded him of the 
times when David had risked his own life to save the kingdom of Israel 
from the power of the Philistines’ rule. He told him that David had 
given much brave service to their country, and had never done any- 
thing deserving of death. Saul listened to Jonathan, and he became 
ashamed of his jealous feelings. He said, “David shall not be killed.” 

Jonathan hurried out to David’s hiding-place to tell him the glad 
news, and he brought David back with him to live again in Griheah. 
And David appeared before the King as he had done in other days, 
and Saul did not try to harm him. 

Soon afterwards war broke out with the old-time enemies— the 
Philistines— and Saul sent David out to fight against them. Once more 
he drove them back in terror to their own land, and returned from the 
battle with greater honors than ever. And once more the evil spirit of 
jealousy crept back into Saul’s heart. 

David came to play on his harp before Saul ; but the troubled King 
did not care for his sweet music. He sat thinking how much he wished 
to be forever rid of the handsome young musician whom; everybody 
seemed to love. Suddenly he picked up his javelin and aimed it at 
David, intending to strike him to the wall with the sharp point. But 
David Was watchful, and he stepped aside quickly and ran out of the 
room. 

Saul was determined to get him now, so he sent messengers to 
David’s home to guard the house and capture David in the morning. 
But Michal, David’s wife, heard that the messengers were coming and 
she urged David to make his escape. She let him down from a window, 
and he crept past the guards through the darkness and ran out into 
the open country. 

When morning came, the soldiers told Michal that her father had 


238 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


sent for David; but she said he was sick and could not come. In the 
night she had put an image in David’s bed and had covered it over 
nicely, and the bed looked as though a man were lying in it. The soldiers 
told Saul that David was ill, and Saul commanded them to carry him 
in the bed to the palace. Saul believed that surely David could not 
escape if he were ill. But when they came with the bed, Saul found 
only an image in it, and David was nowhere to be seen. Saul knew his 
daughter had fooled him because she loved David and wished to save 
his life. 

David had run away to Ramah, where Samuel lived, and had told 
the old prophet about his troubles. And Samuel took him to a place 
near by, called Naioth, where the young prophets lived. 

Now Saul was very angry, and he sent through the country to find 
where David had gone. When he heard that David was with Samuel at 
Naioth, he sent messengers to capture him there. But the messengers 
did not capture David. They stayed in Naioth with Samuel and with 
David and worshiped God at that place. Saul sent other messengers, 
and they did the same. At last Saul said, “I myself will go, and I will 
capture David.” But when he came to the place and heard the others 
praying and worshiping God he had no strength left to harm David. 
He bowed down to the earth and worshiped, too. And he stayed a night 
and a day at that place ; but David fled away and hurried back to Gibeah 
to speak with Jonathan. 


STORY 11 

WHY A LITTLE BOY PICKED UP ARROWS FOR A PRINCE 

1 Samuel 20 

One bright morning Jonathan, the prince of Israel, called a little 
boy to him and said, “Come with me out to the field near the city. 
I am going to shoot with my bow and arrows, and I want you to watch 
where the arrows fall. Then you can run and pick them up and bring 
them back to me.” 

So the two started off together, walking out of town into a wide 
field. How proud the little boy felt to be walking along beside a prince ! 
Perhaps he even tried to take steps as long as Jonathan’s. Perhaps 
his eyes sparkled when he saw the shining bow that Jonathan carried. 

Finally they came to a great rock in the field, and Jonathan stopped 
to fit an arrow into his shining Iqow. Then he aimed carefully at an 
object far off, and shot the arrow. How swiftly it darted through the 


239 


WHY Ai LITTLE BOY PICKED UP ARROWS 

air ! The little boy watched to see where it should fall and then he ran 
gleefully to pick it up. As he ran, J onathan shot another arrow farther 
away, and called after him, “Is not the arrow beyond you ? 9 ’ 

When the arrows had all been shot, and picked up from the grass, 
Jonathan told the little boy that he mlight carry the shining bowl and 
the arrows back to the city. And perhaps the boy thought that would 
be the greatest fun of all. 

Now Jonathan had not told the boy why they had come out to 
shoot in the field that morning. And the boy did not know that some 
one was hiding behind the great rock while Jonathan was shooting with 
hisi bow and arrows. But all the while 
David was hiding behind the great 
rock, listening to hear what Jonathan 
should tell the child. And after Jon- 
athan sent the boy awlay, David came 
out from his hiding-place and fell on 
his face to the ground, bowing down 
before Jonathan three times. Then 
Jonathan ran to meet him, and the 
two friends wept and kissed each 
other. 

You remember that Saul was 
trying again to kill David, and that 
he had gone to Naioth for this pur- 
pose. But the Lord would not let 
him kill David there. And while Saul 
worshiped the Lord at Naioth, David 
ran away and came back to talk with 
Jonathan. He told Jonathan how Saul 
was trying to kill him. And Jonathan felt very sad. He wanted to 
help his friend whom he loved so much. He aslked, “What can I do 
to help you?” And David said, “Tomorrow will be a feast-day and 
Saul will expect me to eat at his table, because I am his son-in-law. 
I can not go, for I fear he will kill me there. Let me hide in the field, 
and if Saul becomes angry because I am not present at the feast you 
will know that he is trying to take my life ; but if he speaks well of me, 
then you will know that it will be safe for m le to return again.” 

Jonathan promised to let David know whether his father wjas still 
angry or whether he would be kind. He told David to hide behind the 
great rock, and he said he would come out in the morning and bring a 
little boy along to pick up the arrows which he would shoot. If he should 



DAVID AND JONATHAN 


240 


BIBLE-STORY book 


say, ‘‘The arrow is beyond you!” then David would know that Saul 
was very angry; but if he should tell the boy to find the arrow at one 
side, then David would understand that Saul was no longer displeased. 

Saul was very angry when David failed to come to the feast, and 
he even threw his javelin at Jonathan becausfe he thought Jonathan was 
too friendly with David. And Jonathan knew that David’s life was in 
great danger, so he rose from the table and would not eat any food that 
day. He hurried out to the field with the little boy, to let David know 
that he must go away from that place and never let Saul find him again. 

Because David and Jonathan loved each! other very dearly, they 
were sorry to part. They did not know whether they should ever see 
each other again. Jonathan knew that somle day God would cause 
David to become the king of Israel. He asked David to promise that 
he would always be kind to him and to his children. And David was 
glad to make such a promise to his faithful friend. 

Then the two men parted, and Jonathan went back to the city. 
But David went away to seek a hiding-place somewhere in the land 
of Israel. 


STORY 12 

THINGS THAT HAPPENED WHILE DAVID HAD NO HOME 

1 Sam. 21:1-22:5 

In the land of Israel was a little city called Nob. This city was 
the home of the priests who cared for the tabernacle of God. After 
the ark had been taken away from the tabernacle at Shiloh and stolen 
by the Philistines, and after Eli, the high priest, and his two wicked 
sons had died, the tabernacle was moved to Nob. The ark was not 
restored to the place in the tabernacle where God planned that it should 
be kept, still the priests were caring for the tabernacle every day just 
as faithfully as it had been cared for when the ark was there. A man 
named Ahimelech was now the high priest, and he wore the same breast- 
plate that Aaron, the first high priest, had worn. 

One day Ahimelech was surprized to see David come hurrying 
toward the tabernacle. Hie wondered what this brave captain might 
want; for he knew that David had w:on many battles against the Phil- 
istines and he knew the people of Israel loved him. He knew, too, 
that David had married the King’s daughter and that now he belonged 
to the royal family of the kingdom of Israel. But he did not know that 
Saul hated David and wished to kill him. He did not know that David 


WHAT HAPPENED WHILE DAVID HAD NO HOME 241 


had left his home at Gibeah without taking a bite of food to eat and 
without even taking a weapon with which! to protect himself in times 
of danger. 

David was careful not to tell the high priest about his troubles. 
But he asked for bread, because he wlas hungry, and Ahimelech gave 
him five loaves that had been kept in the holy place of the tabernacle 
because he had no other to give. Then David asked for a sword, and 
Ahimelech said, “I have none here except the one which belonged to 
the giant Goliath, whom you killed.’ ’ David was glad to take that 
one, for it was a great sword. 

Ahimelech did not know that he was helping a man whom the King 
of Israel hated. But when he was talking with David, another man 
came near and heard their conversation. He saw David take Goliath’s 
sword and go away. This other man’s name was Doeg. Doeg was 
not an Israelite ; but he lived in the land of Israel, and Saul had made 
him the chief over all the caretakers of the King’s cattle. 

When David saw Doeg at the tabernacle he was afraid this man 
would go back to Saul and tell that David had been talking with the 
high priest. He knew Saul would send men to hunt all through the 
land of Israel to find him. Poor David! he did not know where to go 
to hide, so he hurried awlay toward the homeland of Saul’s enemies, 
the Philistines, and came to the city of Gath. 

Achish was king of Gath at that time, and his servants knew 
David. They remembered how the women of Israel had rejoiced after 
David killed the giant, and how they had siung about David’s great 
victory. The Philistines wanted to keep him for a prisoner; and when 
David heard them talking he felt sorry that he had come to their city. 
He thought now that Achish would surely try to kill him, so he began 
to act as though he were a crazy man. Achish was afraid of him and 
quickly sent him away. 

From Gath David went back into the land of Israel and came to 
a place known as the wilderness of Judah. Here he found a cave among 
the rocks, the cave of Adullam, and in this cave he lived for many days. 
When his friends heard about his hiding-place, they came to see him 
there. His parents, too, and his brothers left their home near Beth- 
lehem and came to live with David in the cave. They were afraid of 
King Saul, and they also feared the Philistine soldiers who had come 
into the land and had captured the city of Bethlehem. 

David’s father and mother were very old, and he felt sorry to see 
them driven away from their home with no( place to live except in a 
cave. So he took them to Moab, the land where his great-grandmother 


242 


BIBLE-STORY BOOKj 


Ruth used to live among her own people. And he asked the king of 
that country to let them live there until he could find a better place for 
them. Then he went back! again to Adullam. 

Other men from the land of Israel kept coming to David until he 
had a little army of about four hundred. He became their captain, and 
they loved him very dearly. One time three of those men heard him 
say that he longed to have a drink of water fromi the old well near the 
gate of Bethlehem. There he used to draw water to drink when he 
was a shepherd-boy, and he remembered how good that water tasted. 
But David knew the Philistines now ruled the city and he knew it 
would be dangerous to go there to get a drink. He would not try to go. 
He would not send any one on such a dangerous errand. 

These three men crept away through the shadows when evening 
came and hurried to Bethlehem. There near the gate they found the 
well, and they drew some water to carry back to give to their 
captain. They returned to the cave safely and brought the water to 
David. When David heard how they had risked their lives to try to 
please him, he knew they loved him very much indeed. But he said, 
“I can not drink this water; it is too precious. You have risked your 
lives to bring it to me, and now I will give it as an offering to God. ’ ’ 
So he poured it on the ground before the Lord as a precious gift. 


STORY 13 

HOW A WICKED SERVANT OBEYED A WICKED KING 

1 Sam. 22:6-23 

One little sin brings many more — 

It pushes through the half-closed door 
Of careless! minds and hearts; 

The host of other sins come, too, 

They find the door and scramble through. 

Then trouble quickly starts. 

King Saul had allowed the sin of jealousy to creep into his heart. 
Then the sin of hate pushed its way in and threw the door wide open 
to the terrible sin of murder. What a wicked heart Saul carried about 
with him ! No wonder he felt unhappy. 

After David went away from Gibeah, Saul tried very hard to find 
him. But no one seemed to know where David had gone. No one seemed 
ready to help the unhappy King. Even Jonathan, the King’s son, was 
David’s friend. 


HOW A SERVANT OBEYED A WICKED KINO 


243 


About this time a message came to the King telling that David 
and a small army were living in the great cave, Adullamj. Because 
Saul was seeking to kill David, he supposed at once that David was 
trying to kill him. 4 ‘Why should he have a hand of soldiers with him 
if he were not trying to plan a way to take the kingdom?” reasoned 
the unhappy man. And Saul began to pity himself. He began to feel 
so sorry for himself because none of his soldiers would help him cap- 
ture David. 

One day while Saul sat under a tree near his palace in Gibeah he 
thought about his troubles and wondered vdiat to do. He spoke to his 
servants and told them how distressed he felt because none of them 
would help him. He told them that even Jonathan had refused to 
defend his own rights, but was letting David have the first place in the 
hearts of all the people of Isjrael. 

Doeg, the man whom Saul had appointed to be chief over all his 
herdmen, was there that day, and he stepped up boldly and told the 
King that he had seen David at the tabernacle, in Nob, talking with the 
high priest. He told how Ahimelech had given food to David, and 
also the sword that once belonged to Goliath. 

Saul felt sure that Ahimelech, the high priest, had tried to help 
David get away to a safe hiding-place. He sent quickly for Ahim- 
elech and for all the priests who lived at Nob, and they came wonder- 
ing what service they might do for their Kjing. They knew nothing 
of the whereabouts of David; they did not even know that David had 
run away from the King. 

When the priests) came, Saul called Ahimelech and spoke sharply 
to him. He asked why Ahimelech had given food and a weapon to an 
enemy of Israel. 

How surprized Ahimelech was to hear these words ! He answered, 
“Who is so faithful among all your servants as David, your own son- 
in-law? Does he not go wherever you send him? and is he not loved by 
all your people?” Ahimelech did not know! that the evil spirit of 
jealousy had driven the King to hate David for these very reasons. 

Now Saul ’s anger grew fierce, and he cried, “You and all the 
other priests have helped David to get away! from me, and you shall 
be punished for this act. You must die.” Saul did not stop to think 
that these priests were God’s men, the very ones whom God had chosen 
to care for the tabernacle. Even if he had thought of this he would 
not have checked his wicked anger. He commanded his soldiers to kill 
Ahimelech and all the other priests who were standing by. 

But Saul’s soldiers feared God more than they feared to disobey 


244 


BIBLEi-STORY BOOK 


their kicked King, and they said, “We can not kill the priests of the 
Lord.” Then Saul turned to his wicked servant, Doeg, and told him 
to kill the priests. And Doeg obeyed. Not only did he kill the priests, 
but he hurried away to N(ob and killed every man, woman, and child 
whom he could find in the city. 

But one of Ahimelech’s sons, named Abiathar, fled from the city 
and came to David, bringing the sad news of Saul’s command and the 
cruel way in which it had been obeyed. And David took Abiathar and 
kept him safely from the fate of his brothers. Afterwards Abiathar 
became the high priest, and hei was wiith David through all the years 
of trouble until David became a very old man. 


STORY 14 

HOW DAVID SPARED SAUL’S LIFE 

1 Samuel 23—27 

Not far from David ’si hiding-place was a city called Keilah, and 
the people who lived there were being troubled by the Philistines. 
David heard about their trouble, and at once the spirit of a king stirred 
his heart. He wanted to help them, so he asked God if he should take 
his little army and go out to drive the Philistines away. God told him 
to go ; but his soldiers were afraid to go with him. He prayed the sec- 
ond time, and God gave courage to all his men. 

When Saul heard that David had driven the Philistines away from 
Keilah and had marched with has soldiers into the city, he thought, 
“Now is my chance; I will capture my enemy, for he has gotten him- 
self into a trap.” Saul believed it would be easy to capture David 
inside the walls of Keilah, and he planned to send an army to take him 
there. 

But God warned David 1 of the danger he was in, and told him to 
leave the city. So David called his soldiers and hurried away into a 
thick woodland to hide. There he was when Jonathan found him one 
day and told him not to be afraid. “God will not let my father hurt 
you,” he said, “for you will yet be king over Israel and I shall be 
next to you.” 

David felt glad when he heard Jonathan’s comforting words,. How 
he loved his friend ! For a, long time they talked about the happy days 
to come when David would be king and they could work together as 
faithful friends. Then they bade each other good-by, and Jonathan 


HOW DAVID SPARED SAUL’S LIFE 245 

went away. This was the last tiinie they ever saw each other, for Jon- 
athan was killed not long afterwards in a battle with the Philistines. 

David went from one place to another to hide in the mountains 
and in the woods. Everywhere he went Saul followed after him with 
an army of three thousand men. At last Saul’s army came to the wil- 
derness of Engedi, where David was hiding with his men in a great 



KING SAUL IN DAVID’S CAVE 

cave. Saul did not know that they were inside the cave,, and he wished 
to rest for a while, so he went into the cave and lay down to sleep. 

David and his soldiers were standing in the dark shadows at the 
sides of the cave when Saul entered, and they saw him lie down to rest. 
But he did not see them. When he fell asleep David crept up softly 
and cut off a part of his: robe. Then he went back into the/ shadows 
again to wait until Saul should awaken. 

David’s soldiers wanted to kill Saul. They knew he was a wicked 


246 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


King, and that God was much displeased with him. But David remem- 
bered that God had once chosen Saul to rule his people, and he believed 
it would be a great sin to kill one whom God’s prophet had anointed, 
so he would not let his soldiers harm the sleeping man. 

When Saul awoke and went out of the cave, David followed and 
called after him. Saul was surprized to hear David’s voice behind 
him, and when he turned and saw that David had been in the cave 
while he lay asleep he knew then that David was not his enemy at all. 
He knew that David would have killed him if he were an enemy. David 
showed him the piece of cloth that he had cut from Saul’s robe, and 
told how his men had urged him toi kill Saul. But he said, 4 1 1 will not 
hurt you, for you are the Lord’s anointed. Why should you believe 
that I am seeking your life?” 

Saul was ashamed of himself when he heard David’s kind words 
and saw that David really did not mean to do him harm. He wept for 
Siorrow when he remembered how much he had once loved David, and 
he said, “You are a better mian than I, for you have done good to me 
while I was trying to kill you. Today the Lord! let me fall into your 
hands, and you have spared my life. I know that some day you will 
be the king of Israel. ’ ’ 

After their talk together, Saul took his army and returned to his 
home at Gibeah. Perhaps he thought he would never again trouble 
David, but the evil spirit soon came back into his heart and he grew 
as hateful as ever. David had been afraid to go home, and now Saul 
started out to find himj again. 

David was hiding in the country that belonged to the Ziphites, and 
they sent word to Saul to come and take him there. So he came with 
an army of three thousand men and pitched his camp in the wilderness 
of Ziph, at a place called the hill of Hhchilah. David sent spies to be 
on the watch, and they brought back word to him that Saul had come. 

“Now,” thought David, “I will go by night and visit Saul’s camp. 
Perhaps I can show himj again that I do not wish to harm him.” So 
he took a young man along, named Abishai, and they two entered Saul ’s 
camp while all the soldiers were sleeping soundly. Even Saul’s brave 
captain, Abner, was fast asleep; for God had put a deep sleep upon 
them all. David and Abishai went into the center of the camp, and 
there they found Saul lying with his spear stuck into the ground near 
his head, and with a bottle of Water standing by. 

Abishai wanted to kill Saul, but David said they had not come for 
that purpose. He told Abishai that some day God would permit Saul 
to be killed, perhaps ini a battle, but that it would be wrong for him 


HOW DAVID SPARED SAUL’S LIFE 


247 


to kill one whom God’s prophet had anointed to be king of Israel. He 
told Abishai that he might take Saul’s spear and the water-bottle; 
and then they walked quietly out of the camp. No one heard them 
come and no one heard them go away. 

When the two men climbed to the top of a hill outside the camp, 
David cried loudly to Abner, the captain of Saul’s army. And Abner 
awoke with a start. He knew 
David’s voice and he was afraid. 

David told him that he was not. 
tit to be the King’s chief captain 
because he had not watched to 
keep an enemy out of the camp. 

He said, “Some one has come 
into your camp to kill Saul, and 
you have been asleep. They 
have stolen the spear and the 
water-bottle of your master. 

Send one of your soldiers now r to 
get them. ’ ’ 

Saul, too, was awakened by 
David’s voice, and he cried out, 

“Is that your voice, my son 
David!” Again he felt ashamed 
when he found out how easily 
David might have harmed him. He knew he had sinned greatly, and 
he asked David to return to Gibeah, for he would not try any more 
to take his life. 

But David remembered the other times when Saul had become 
sorry for his jealous behavior, and he w{as afraid to believe the promise 
that the King made. Instead of going back to live in Gibeah, he took 
his soldiers and went to the land of the Philistines, where he lived until 
he heard about Saul’s death. 



DAVID AND ABISHAI ENTER SAUL’S CAMP 


248 


BIBLE-STGRY BOOK 


STORY 15 

THE UNHAPPY ENDING OF SAUL’S LIFE 

1 Sam. 28:3—31:13 

Troubles that are left unmended 
Never can be rightly ended. 

Troubles began for Saul when he disobeyed God and tried to do 
just as he pleased. And they grew bigger when he allowed wrong 
thoughts to fill his mind and cause him to do wrong deeds. By and by, 
after many years of trouble, he became an old man. And what a mis- 
erable old man he was ! Nowhere could he feel contented and happy. 

About this time the Philistines were causing him much trouble. 
They were stealing from his people and they were even stealing cities 
away from his rule. They were growing bolder all the while ; and Saul 
knew he Was not able to drive them out of the land of Israel. He remem- 
bered the times when he used to send David to fight against them. He 
remembered how God used to bless David and always help him 1 to gain 
the victory. Now he had no one to send, so he had to go himself. 

Saul gathered all the soldiers of Israel together and led them 
out to the battle-field where Gideon had led three hundred brave men 
to a great victory many years before. But Saul did not feel courageous, 
as did Gideon. H t e was afraid when he saw the hosts of the Philis- 
tines gathering in the valley. He wondered what to do. No priest of 
the Lord could he find in the land to tell him of God’s will; for he had 
commanded all the priests to be killed, and the only one who escaped 
had fled to David’s company. Samuel, the faithful old prophet, was 
dead and buried; and God would not speak to Saul. 

There were people living at that time, as there are people today, 
who believed they could speak with the dead. Such people are wicked, 
and God had commanded the Israelites to destroy any they might find 
in their land. Saul had commanded his people to destroy them. But 
when he could find no one to tell him what to do he thought of Samuel. 
How he wished that he might speak to the dear old man once ; more! 
Samuel used to talk to God and understand God’s will. 4 ‘Surely he 
could help now, ’ ’ thought Saul. And Saul wondered whether he could 
find some one who could speak to Samuel even though the prophet was 
dead. 

Not far from Saul’s camp was, a village called Endor, and a woman 
lived there who talked with spirits. We call such a person a witch. 
Some of Saul’s servants told him about the witch who lived at Endor, 


THE UNHAPPY ENDING OF SAUL’S LIFE 


249 


and Saul decided to visit her. He knew she would be afraid of him,, 
so he dressed in the clothes of a poor man that she might not know 
who he was. Then he took two of his men with himi and went to Endor 
that very night. 

The Woman was, frightened when three men stopped near her door 
in the dark shadows and asked her to speak with the spirit of a man 
who had died. She said, ‘‘Saul, the king of Israel, has commanded 
that every one be killed who speaks with spirits ; are you asking me to 
do this tiling and so place myself in danger of losing my lifer’ Saul 
told her not to be afraid to do just a si he asked, for she would not be 
punished. 

When the woman tried to- call Samuel’s spirit from the dead, she 
saw something that frightened her terribly. And she knew at once that 
the old man who was waiting to hear Samuel’s words Was King Saul 
himself. She cried, “Why have you fooled me?” Saul told her not to 
be afraid, and asked what she had seen. Then she described the form 
of an old man wrapped in a mantle; and Saul cried, “It is Samuel.” 

Saul bowed on his face to the ground, and the form of the old man 
came near to him. “Why have you called for me?” he asked. And 
Saul replied, 4 ‘ The Philistines have came to fight against me and I am 
in much distress, for God has departed from me and answers me no 
more. I have called for you to 
tell me what I must do.” 

Instead of receiving any 
help or comfort, Saul heard 
words that night that fright- 
ened him more than ever. The 
messenger who spoke to him 
said that on the next day he 
and his three sons should be 
killed, and that the Philistines 
should gain a great victory over 
his people. When the voice 
ceased speaking, Saul lay help- 
less upon the ground with no 
strength to lift himself. The 
woman prepared some food, king saul falling upon his own sword 
and she urged him to eat of it. 

Then he rose up and went away with his two companions. 

On the next day the battle began, and the Philistines overpowered 
the men of Israel and killed many of them. Saul ’s three sons fell dead 



250 


BIBLE-STQRY BOOK 


on the battle-field— Jonathan and his two brothers. And Saul himself 
was- wounded. When he saw] that he must die, Saul feared that the 
Philistines would come and torture him. So he commanded his armor- 
bearer to kill him, but the armor-bearer said , 6 1 I can not kill the Lord ’s 
anointed.” Then Saul fell upon his own sword, and died. 

As the first king of Israel, Saul had ruled for forty years. He had 
begun well, and God had blessed him ; but when he refused to obey the 
words that God spoke to him through Samuel, the prophet, then he no 
longer enjoyed the blessings of the Lord. And his life as a king came 
to an uuhappy end. 


STORY 16 

WHAT HAPPENED TO DAVID’S HOME AT ZIKLAG 

1 Sam. 29:1—2 Sam. 2:3 

When David went with Ms soldiers to live in the land of the Phil- 
istines, he became friendly with Achish, the Mng of Gath. God caused 
this heathen Mng to be kind to David and his men, and to give them a 
city to live in. The name of this city was Ziklag. 

At the time of Saul’s death, David and his soldiers were making 
their homes at Ziklag. AcMsh wanted David to go to the battle against 
Saul, and had him in his army ; but the other rulers of the PMlistines 
were afraid of him'. So David took his men and went back to the land 
of the Philistines. 

When they came near to Ziklag they saw that an enemy had been 
there and had burned the city. All their belongings were stolen, even 
their wives and cMldren. David called AMathar, the high priest, and 
he asked God whether they should follow after the enemy and try to 
overtake them. God told them to go, so| David took his six hundred 
men and started to follow the trail of the enemy. 

Because they had no food to eat, a part of David’s men became too 
Weak to go very far on the trail. These stopped by a brook to rest, 
while the others went on with their brave captain. As they went they 
found an Egyptian, nearly dead, lying in a field, and they gave him 
water to drink. For three days tMs Egyptian had lain without a drop 
of water and without food. After he ate some bread and drank water 
he was able to speak with David and his men. He told them that a band 
of Amalekites had passed by that way and had left him behind when he 
fell sick. He said they had been in the land of the PMlistines and had 


WHAT HAPPENED TO DAVID’S HOME AT ZIKJLAGr 251 


burned the city of Ziklag. David asked, ‘ 1 Can you show us which road 
they have taken!” The Egyptian promised to go with David and help 
him find the Amalekites if David would not allow the Amalekites to 
take him again for their servant. And David took the Egyptian with 
his men. 

The Amalekites were camping in a valley and enjoying a feast 
when David and his soldiers found them. They fell upon the company 
and rescued their wives and children and all the goods, the Amalekites 
had stolen from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 
They killed many of the Amalekites and drove the others away into 
the wilderness. 

When David returned to the men who! were resting by the brook, 
he divided with them the goods that he and his men had taken away 
from their enemies. And they hurried back to their place in the land 
of the Philistines. 

Now Ziklag was burned, and they had no homes to live in. While 
they were wondering what to do, a messenger came running from the 
battle-field to tell about the death of Saul and of his sons. The mes- 
senger said he was an Amalekite and that he had found Saul leaning 
upon his spear nearly ( dead. Thinking David would be pleased to hear 
that his enemy, Saul, was killed, the Amalekite told David that he had 
killed Saul and had brought Saul’s crown to him. 

But David was not pleased. He tore his clothes as a sign of sor- 
row, and cried, “Were you not afraid to kill a man wlho was the Lord’s 
anointed!” The Amalekite had expected David to give him a present 
because he had killed Saul. But David commanded his soldiers to kill 
the stranger. 

David mourned about the death of Saul and of his dearly loved 
friend, Jonathan. He seemed to forget that Saul had ever been unkind 
to him. He tried to remember only the good things that Saul had done. 
He wrote a poem about their death, and one of the verses reads thus: 

Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, 

And in their death they were not divided: 

They were swifter than eagles, 

They were stronger than lions. 

After Saul’s death, David asked the Lord what to do. He no longer 
had a home in the land of the Philistines, because the city of Ziklag 
had been burned. The Lord told him to go back to his own land again ; 
so he took his family and all his soldiers and their wives and children 
and went back to the land of Judah, to live in Hebron. 


252 


BIBLE-STOKY BOOK 


STGBY 17 

WHEN THE SHEPHERD-BOY BECAME THE KING OF ISRAEL 

2 Sam. 2:4-6:18 

Many years had passed since God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to 
anoint the shepherd-boy for Israel’s second king. During those years 
David grew to manhood and became a mighty captain. He led his brave 
soldiers to many battles, and God, always gave them victories over their 
enemies. 

After David went to lives at Hebron, the men of Judah came to 
anoint him: to be their king. For a few years the other tribes followed 
Saul’s son Ishbosheth; but when they saw how God was blessing David, 
they sent their chief men to him with this message: “We are all your 
brothers, and we know God has chosen you to become the ruler of his 
people.” Then they anointed him, to be king over all the land. 

David set up his, kingdom in the city of Jerusalem. First he had 
to drive away the Jebusites, a strange people who had lived at that 
place since the time of Joshua. Then he chose Mount Zion, one of the 
hills inside the v^all of Jerusalem, and on this hill he built his royal 
palace. 

Now, the Philistines were ruling over many places in the land of 
Israel and they were not pleased when David took the throne. They 
gathered their armies together and came to fight against him in a val- 
ley near Jerusalem. David did not rush out to meet them, but first 
asked God what he should do. And God told him to go out to the bat- 
tle. He called his soldiers and went out and defeated the Philistines, 
driving them away in such haste that they left the images of their 
gods behind. David and his men found the images and burned them 
tot ashes. 

After this battle the Philistines came again to fight , against David. 
,T'hey pitched their tents in the same valley as where the first battle had 
been fought. David prayed again, and God told him not to go out this 
time as he had gone before, but to take his army of? to one side and 
wait under the mulberry-trees for God’s sign. When he should hear 
a sound in the tops of the trees, then he should hurry out to the battle, 
for God would go before him and would give a great victory. David 
was careful to do exactly as God said, and God helped him to drive all 
the Philistines out of the land. Never again did they come back to 
bother Israel while he was the king. 

Dlavid wanted to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem. He had heard 


WHEN THE SHEIPHERD-BOY BECAME KING 


253 


how it had been taken away from Shiloh to battle against the Philis- 
tines long years before Saul became the king. He knew God’s plan 
was to keep the ark inside the tabernacle, so he built a new tabernacle 
after the pattern of the old one, which had stood at (Nob, and then he 
sent word to the people in every part of the land telling them that he 
was going to bring the ark to Jerusalem. 

Thirty thousand men came, a great army of men, to see the mov- 
ing of the ark from itsi resting-place at Kirjath-jearim to the King’s 
city. They built a new cart to carry it, and tried to move it as the Phi- 
listines had done when they sent it back to the land of Israel. But God 
did not want his people to handle the ark in that manner. He had com- 
manded that no one except the priests should even touch the ark. But 
the people had forgotten God’s command. 

David and a company of musicians walked before the cart, playing 
on harps and other stringed instruments and singing praises to God. 
The other people followed, every one feeling happy because the King 
was trying to worship God in the right way. Suddenly every one 
stopped, and the music ceased. One of the oxen that helped to draw 
the cart perhaps had stumbled, for the ark tottered as if ready to fall 
to the ground. The driver, seeing the danger the ark was in, reached 
out his hand to steady the ark, and immediately he fell down dead. 

“ What can this, mean?” every one wondered, and David was fright- 
ened, too. He knew God had been displeased with some part of their 
plan, and he did not know what to do, so he left the ark at the homje 
of a man who lived near by. Then he and all the people of Israel went 
back to their homes. 

David began to inquire about God’s plan for moving the ark from 
one place to another, and he learned that God intended for the priests 
to carry the ark on their shoulders. After several months had passed, 
word came to David that God was blessing the man at whose home near 
the roadside the ark had been left. And David 1 sent again to bring the 
ark to Jerusalem. 

This time David called for the Levites and commanded them to 
carry the ark. And again he and other musicians went before the ark, 
singing and playing on stringed instruments. And they brought the 
ark safely inside the city walls and placed it in the new tabernacle, 
which David had built. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace- 
offerings before the Lord. 


254 


BIBLE-&TQRY BOOK 


STORY 18 

WHAT HAPPENED TO A LITTLE LAME PRINCE 
WHEN HE GREW UP 

2 Sam. 4: 4—9: 13 

Mephibosheth is a very long name for a very small boy. But 
Jonathan, the prince of Israel, thought it a, very good name for his 
little son, and soon the child grew old enough to answer when they 
called that name. 

One day Jonathan kissed his little hoy good-by and went away to 
the battle at Mount Gilboa. He never came back again; for in/ that 
battle against the Philistines he was killed. And his father, King Saul, 
was killed, too. Many others oft the soldiers of Israel were killed by 
their enemies that day. 

When news from the battle (reached the city of Gibeah, every one 
became excited. And every one in the King’s household became very 
much afraid. Even the servants were afraid. They knew their own 
lives would not be safe after their master, the King, had been killed 
by the Philistines, for the Philistines would send soldiers to Gibeah 
to take that city and to desltroy every one they could find who belonged 
to Saul’s family. And so the servants and all the people who lived in 
the palace ran away. 

Mephibosheth was not big enough to run very far, for he was only 
five years old. H]e could not understand why^ every one was hurrying 
away so fast. ' He grew tired, and perhaps he began to cry. Then his 
nurse picked him up and carried him in her arms.i But while she was 
running along with the other servants she stumbled and dropped the 
little Prince to the ground. Both his feet were hurt so badly in that 
fall that he was never able to run about and play with other children 
again. He was taken to the home' of a kind man who lived on the other 
side of the Jordan River, and there he lived till he grew to be a man. 

After David became the king of Israel he remembered his dear 
friend Jonathan, who had been killed by the Philistines. He remem- 
bered how Jonathan had planned to live near him after he should be- 
come king. And he remembered his promise always to be kind to this 
faithful friend and to his children. 

But Jonathan was dead, and David missed him when he came back 
to live again in Israel, He remembered the promise he had made to 
Jonathan, and he began to look about to find where Jonathan’s ehil- 


DAVID’S SIN AND HIS PUNISHMENT 


255 


dren had gone. He could find none in Gibeah, and after a long time he 
heard about Mephibosheth, the lame prince wjho was living in the coun- 
try of Israel on the other side of the Jordan River. So he sent after 
Mephibosheth and had him brought to the palace at Jerusalem. 

Mephibosheth was now a grown man, and he had married a wife. 
Perhaps he felt afraid when the messenger came from Jerusalem, say- 
ing that David had sent for him. But he hurried to the palace to speak 
with the old-time friend of his father. When he came before David he 
bowed down to the ground in a very humble manner. And David said, 
‘ 4 Mephibosheth, do not be afraid of mie, for I wish to show kindness to 
you for your father’s sake. I want to give back to you all the land that 
once belonged to your grandfather, King Saul, and I want you to come 
and live in my palace and sit at mjy table every day. ’ ’ 

Then David called an old man who had been a servant of King 
Saul, and he told this servant to take care of the lands and fields that 
now belonged to Mephibosheth. And this old man and his sons became 
servants of Mephibosheth. 

The lame Prince brought his wife and his little son, whose name 
was Micha, from their home on the other side of the Jordan River, and 
they lived with him at Jerusalem among the children of the King. As 
long as Mephibosheth lived, David was kind to him, for his friend 
Jonathan’s sake. 


STORY 19 

DAVID’S SIN AND HIS PUNISHMENT 

2 Sam. 11:1-12:26 

Temptations come to one and all; 

The rich and poor alike may fall 
In Satan’s traps, set ev’ry day 
To catch the feet that go astray. 

David was .a wise man, and he loved God. But he was often 
tempted to do wrong things, and sometimes he allowed the temptations 
to lead him into trouble. One day a very strong temptation came to 
him and he forgot that God could see everything he was doing. He 
forgot that God could even hear his thoughts, and he planned to cover 
up his wrong deed. 

But God sent a faithful prophet to speak to the King and to tell 
him how greatly he had sinned. The prophet said, 4 ‘ Because you have 
displeased God you shall have many sorrows in your home-life. First 


256 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


your baby son whom you love so dearly shall die. Other troubles will 
come in later years .’ 7 

David wept when the prophet spoke to him. He felt very unhappy 
because he had displeased God. Hei asked God to take away his sin 
and to give him a clean heart, for he knew that his heart was not right. 
And his prayer was heard in heaven because he wlas truly sorry for his 
wrong deed. 

Not long after this had happened the baby in David’s home be- 
came very sick. And David remembered the words of the prophet. 

When he saw that the child was 
growing worse instead of bet- 
ter every day, he thought, “I 
will fast and pray very earn- 
estly, and maybe the Lord will 
spare the life of my darling.” 
So David refused to eat any 
food, and he lay dowu with his 
face on the ground, to pray to 
God. His servants urged him 
to take food; but he would not 
eat. 

Although God had forgiv- 
en David’s sin, lie did not take 
away the punishment which 

the prophet speaking to king david that sin had brought. He al- 
lowed David to suffer pain be- 
cause he had done wrong, and after seven days of sickness the baby 
died. 

David’s servants were afraid to tell him the sad news about the 
baby’s death. They said to each other, “If our King has been so 
greatly distressed that he would not eat while his child was ill, how can 
we tell him that the child is dead?” But David heard them whispering, 
and he asked, ‘ ‘ Is the child dead ? ’ ’ And they answered, ‘ ‘ He is dead. ’ ’ 

Then David rose from] the ground and washed himself in clean 
water, and dressed in his kingly robes, as in other days. He went first 
to the tabernacle to worship God, and afterwards he came to his home 
and asked for food. His servants were surprized, and they asked why 
he had fasted and wept and prayed while the child lived. He answered, 
“I fasted and prayed then because I thought the Lord might spare my 
darling’s life; now I know that the child can not come back to me, but 
some day I shall go to be with him. ’ ’ 



THE PRlKCJEi WHO TRIED TO STEAL A KINGDOM 257 


After this baby died, God gave David and his wife another child, 
and they named him Solomon. God loved this child, and he told David 
that some day Solomon should sit upon his throne and become the 
king of Israel. 


STORY 20 

THE WICKED PRINCE WHO TRIED TO STEAL HIS FATHER’S 

KINGDOM 

2 Samuel 15—17 

Absalom was one of the handsome princes who lived at the palace 
in Jerusalem. But he was not like his father, David. When he grew 
to manhood he thought often about the time to come when his father 
should die and there should need to be a new king in Israel. Absalom 
wished to become the new king. Perhaps he did not know that God 
had already chosen his younger brother, Solomon, to be the third ruler 
of the kingdom. 

As time passed by Absalom grew tired of waiting for his father 
to die. Finally he planned to steal the kingdom away while his father 
was yet alive. First he began by acting very friendly toward all the 
people who came to visit Jerusalem from other parts of the kingdom. 
He won their hearts by kindly doing services for them. Because he 
was young and very handsome they became attracted to him. Then 
when he treated them very kindly they thought he would make a great 
king indeed. 

While this was happening David was busy attending to his duties 
as a king. He did not know that Absalom was stealing the hearts of 
many of his people. So when Absalom came to him early one morning 
and asked permission to go that day to Hebron to worship God there, 
David said, “Go, my son.” He was glad to hear that Absalom wished 
to worship God. 

But Absalom’s plan was not to worship God at all. He used that 
for an excuse to go away from Jerusalem without causing his father 
to grow uneasy. He had already planned to meet with the people of 
Israel at Hebron and to become their king at that place. Then he 
would return with them to Jerusalem and sit upon his father’s throne. 

Perhaps Absalom planned to take his father by surprize when he 
should return to Jerusalem to claim the throne. But a messenger hur- 
ried to tell the King what was taking place at Hebron, and David under- 


258 


RIRLE-STORY BOOK! 


stood at once what would happen if his son should return and find him 
there. So he quickly called his faithful servants and told them of Absa- 
lom’s wicked doings. 4 'Let us flee from the city at once,” he told them,; 
‘ ‘for if Absalom and his followers find us they will try to take our lives. ” 

This was a sad hour for David. Now his own son, whom he loved 
from babyhood, had. risen up against him, ready to take his life. Poor 
David! again he remjemjbered the words of God’s prophet, who said 
that troubles would come in his own household because he had sinned 
so against God. And David felt very humble. He covered his head and 
removed the sandals from off his feet. Then he walked away from 
his beautiful palace, away from the city of Jerusalem, weeping as he 
went. And his faithful servants followed, with their heads covered 
too. They wept with David when they thought about the unkindness 
of Absalom. 

Now the priest Abiathar, who fled to David when Saul! had com- 
manded all the priests of God to be killed, Was living in Jerusalem. 
He and another priest named Zadok, with their two sons, took the ark 
of God and prepared to follow David, too. But David told them that 
they could help him more if they would remain in( the city and send 
him word about the doings of Absalom. So they returned with the 
ark to the tabernacle. 

Another of David’s friends, a very wise man named Hushai, who 
often helped the King, hurried to join the fleeing company. He tore 
his coat and put dust upon his head to show the people how sorry 
he felt for David. But when he met David, the King said, “Hushai, 
I want, you to go to Jerusalem instead of following me. There you 
can learn about Absalom) ’s plans and tell the priests. And the priests 
will send their sons to tell me What I must do.” So Hushai left David 
and Went into Jerusalem, while the King and his followers journeyed 
on toward the wilderness near the Jordan Kiver. 

When Absalom and his friends came to the palace at Jerusalem 
they saw at once that David and his faithful servants had run/ away. 
They were surprized to find that Hushai had not gone with them, and 
they asked why he remained behind. But Hushai pretended that he 
wished to please Absalom as he had pleased David in other days. And 
because Hushai was a very wise man, Absalom was glad to keep him 
in his court. 

At once Absalom and his friends began! to plan how they should 
capture David and win all of Dlavid’s servants to become the servants 
of the new King. They decided that it would be wise to send an army 
out that very night to search for David and kill him, 


HOW THE PRINjCE WAS HUNG IN A GREAT OAK-TREE 259 


But Hushai said, “Your plan is not good. David is a mighty 
soldier, and his servants, too, know how to tight bravely. They will 
defeat your few men. First you must gather a large armly together, 
and then go out after the ol‘d King.” Hushai spoke thus because he 
wished to give David more time to get far away to a safe hiding-place. 
And Absalom thought Hushai ’s advice was best to follow, so he sent 
messengers to call the soldiers of Israel together ; and while the army 
was gathering, Hushai sent word to David by the sons of the priests, 
telling him to flee across the Jordan River at once. 

When the sons of the priests started to go to David with Hushai ’s 
message, a young man saw them, and he hurried to tell Absalom. Then 
Absalom sent soldiers to catch the messengers ; but they hid in a well 
until the soldiers had gone back again to the city. Then they ran on 
to tell David the words of Hushai, and David took his servants and 
went to the city of Mahanaim, on the other side of the Jordan River. 


STORY 21 

HOW THE WICKED PRINCE WAS HUNG IN THE BOUGHS OF A 
GREAT OAK-TREE 

2 Samuel 18, 19 

Absalom believed that his soldiers would try harder to capture 
David if he should go with them. So he led them out from Jerusalem, 
riding on a mule as was the custom of kings. And a great host of men 
followed, all armed and readyj to fight against the servants of David. 

Now, David was being cared for by kind friends in the city of 
Mahanaim;. His servants would not let him go out to the battle, so he 
divided them into three companies and sent them aw]ay to meet Absalom 
and his men in a thick woodland called the woods of Eiphraim. Then 
he waited by the gate of the city to hear the first news that should 
come from the battle-field. 

Before letting his men start David urged them to be kind to Ab- 
salom if they should find him in the woods. Even though Absalom was 
an ungrateful son, David could not forget his love for the young man. 
And he waited with an anxious heart to hear what the result of the 
meeting in the woods should be. 

David’s servants were successful in the battle. Many of Absa- 
lom’s soldiers* were killed, and many others were scattered and lost 


260 


BIBLEi-STORY BOOK 


in the thick woods. As Absalom was riding through the woods trying 
to escape from David’s servants, his mule ran under the boughs of a 
great oak-tree, and Absalom was caught by his head in the thick boughs. 
His mule ran aw'ay, leaving him hanging there alone. One of David’s 
servants was near by and saw him ; but he remembered David ’s words, 
and would not hurt the young prince. He ran quickly to tell his cap- 
tain, Joab, what he had seen. And Joab asked, “Why did you not kill 
Absalom at once?” The servant answered, “Because I heard David 
command us to spare the young man’s life.” 

Although Joab was the chief captain of David’s army, he was not 
always careful to obey the orders that David gave to him. He was a 
cruel man, and sometimes he did things that grieved his master very 
much. When Joab heard that Absalom was hanging in the boughs of 
a tree he hurried to the place and found the young Prince yet alive, 
and Joab killed him. The young men who carried Joab’s armor came 
to help him kill Absalom, and they took Absalom’s body down from 
the tree and threw it into a deep hole in the ground. Then they cov- 
ered the hole with a heap of stones. 

Absalom’s soldiers soon heard that their leader had been killed, 
and they ran away from the battle. They had nothing left to fight for, 
and they were afraid of David’s servants, so they hurried quickly to 
their own homes on the other side of the Jordan River. 

Joab sent a young man named Cushi to carry the news of the bat- 
tle to David. After he started, one of the priests’ sons asked permis- 
sion also to run as a messenger to David. But Joab said, “You have 
nothing to tell.” Still the priest’s son begged to go, so Joab gave his 
consent. But he did not send a message With this man. And this man 
ran faster than the first ; but when he came to David he could not tell 
What had happened in the woods. 

Cushi then came forward and bowed low before David, saying as 
he did so, “Tidings, my lord the king.” And David knew he had a 
message from the battle. How eagerly the old King listened to Cushi ’s 
report of the victory, which his servants had gained over Absalom’s 
army! Then he asked in anxious tones, “Is the young man Absalom 
safe?” 

Now Cushi knew that David loved- the wicked young Prince, and it 
was not easy to tell what had happened to Absalom. So he said kindly, 
“Let the enemies of mjy lord the king, and all who rise up to harm you, 
be as the young man is.” And David understood by these words that 
Absalom was dead. 

Instead of rejoicing because of the victory, King David covered 
































































































- 






* 



















; 












WHY THE DEATH-ANGEL VISITED JERUSALEM 261 


his face and began to weep aloud because of his son’s death. Again and 
again he cried, 4 4 0 my son Absalom ! my son ! my son ! I would rather 
have died myself ! ’ ’ And all the people who heard David weeping were 
made sad that day. No one felt like rejoicing over the victory, for they 
were afraid that their King would be displeased. 

Finally Joab came and spoke to David. He said, “The people will 
think that you love your enemies and hate your friends. They have 
risked their lives to save you from harm, and now you only weep, be- 
cause your ungrateful son has been killed. You do not thank the peo- 
ple who have been true to you in this time of trouble.” So David 
ceased his weeping and went out to speak again to his brave servants. 

Not long afterwards David and his servants and all who had come 
with him returned again to live in Jerusalem. And David showed much 
kindness to the friends wlm had cared for him while his life was being 
sought by his wicked son. 


STORY 22 

WHY THE DEATH-ANGEL VISITED JERUSALEM 

2 Samuel 24 ; ,1 Chronicles 21 

Under the rule of David the kingdom of Israel grew from a weak, 
oppressed nation into a very powerful one, such a powerful one that the 
heathen people who lived in other lands were made to see God’s bless- 
ings upon David and upon his servants. 

Now God had intended that his people, Israel, should always trust 
him to care for them and to deliver them from their troubles. He did 
not want them to trust in their own strength, asi the people of other 
nations trusted. But when the kingdom of Israel grew so strong that 
neighboring kingdoms were afraid to oppose it, then the temptation 
came to David to trust in his army as did the kings of mighty nations 
around him. The more he thought about this temptation the greater 
his desire grew to know just how many soldiers he had in his kingdom. 
He wanted to know how large an army he could raise if it should be- 
come necessary for him to begin a great warfare. 

God saw that David was forgetting to trust in him. And God was 
not pleased with this desire of the King. Neither was Joab, the cap- 
tain of David’s army, pleased when he heard of the King’s plan. He 
said, 4 4 This thing is not right. ’ ’ But he obeyed his master, and went 
out with other captains to count the number of soldiers in the land. 


262 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Early, one morning not long after David had sent the captains 
away on their errand, God sent a faithful prophet to speak to the King. 
He said, 4 4 Your desire to count the number of the soldiers of Israel is 
not right. You have brought God's displeasure upon your people, and 
they must be punished for this sin." 

David listened to the prophet, and he began to understand why 
Joab had not wanted him to .carry out his plan. He saw how he was 
causing his people to trust in their own might and wisdom instead of 
depending wholly upon God to help them, as in other days. So David 
humbled himself and prayed to God for forgiveness. 

YVYiile God was ready to forgive, yet he knew that the people 
everywhere must know that David’s plan had been unwise. So he sent 
his prophet, Gad, to speak again .to the King. And Gad came to David 
and said, 4 4 God has sent me to tell you that you must choose one of 
these three things for a punishment because of your sin : First, a famine 
of seven years. Second, a warfare of three months in which your ene- 
mies shall gain the victories over you. Third, a pestilence lasting three 
days, when many people in your land shall die. 

David felt very sorry when he saw that his people would have to 
suffer because he had led them to do wrong. He told the prophet that 
it was hard for him to decide which of the three things to choose, as 
his people would need to suffer breach of them.' But he said, 4 4 It will 
be better to fall into the hand of the Lord than into the hand of our 
enemies, for the Lord has great mercy." So David chose the three 
days’ pestilence. 

Then God sent a great pestilence through the land of Israel, and 
many of the mighty soldiers whom David had trusted to help deliver 
his kingdom in times of trouble died of the pestilence. Everywhere in 
the land there was death and sorrow, and David’s heart was made very 
sad. When the angel of death came to strike the soldiers who lived in 
Jerusalem, God caused David to see the angel standing with his sWord 
drawn over the city. And the King cried to the Lord When he saw the 
angel, and said, 44 I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these 
sheep, what have they done? Let your angel strike mje instead of these 
innocent people." 

God heard David’s prayer, and he did not allow the angel to des- 
troy any more people. He told David to build an altar on the spot 
where he had seen the angel standing. And David called his nobles, 
and hurried to obey God’s command. 

Now the angel had stood on the top of a mount called Moriah, 
which was inside the walls of Jerusalem. And a man named Araunah 


WHY SOLOMON RODE UPON THE KING’S MULE 263 


owned a threshing-floor at this very place. He was busy threshing his 
grain when he saw the King and his nobles coming toward him, so he 
left his work and ran. out to bow do win low before David. He had not 
seen the angel standing near by. David told Araunah at once that he 
had come to buy the threshing-floor as he wished to build an altar upon 
it. Araunah said he would gladly give it to the King; but David re- 
fused to take it without paying the full price. 

After building the altar, David laid burnt offerings and peace- 
offerings upon it and prayed earnestly to God. And God answered by 
sending fire from heaven to burn up the offerings David had given for 
his sin. 

David was pleased when God sent the fire to bum up his offering, 
and he prepared at once for the building of a temple for God upon 
Mount Moriah. Long before this time he had wished to build such a 
house for the worship of God, but the prophet had told him that God 
did not want him to build the temple. Now David planned to get 
everything ready that his son Solomon might build this beautiful place. 
And God was pleased with David’s plan. 


STORY 23 

WHY SOLOMON RODE UPON THE KING’S MULE 

1 Kings 1:1-2:12 

David was now an old man, and he could no longer go out among 
his people. Day after day he lay upon his bed in the beautiful palace 
at Jerusalem, waiting to die. He had ruled Israel for many years, and 
God had blessed him with much honor and with great riches. Now his 
people knew that soon he must die, and they were wondering who 
should be the nett king to sit upon his throne. 

One of Solomon’s elder brothers thought he would rule the people 
in his father’s place. Perhaps he knew that God had chosen Solomon 
to be the next king ; but he was proud like Absalom, and he did not care 
to please God. He wished to become the king instead of Solomon. So 
he prepared chariots for himself and appointed fifty young men to run 
before him as he rode through the streets) of Jerusalem. People look- 
ing on would believe that he was a great ruler whom' every one should 
respect, so he thought. Because David had always allowed him to do 
just as he pleased, Adonijah believed he could easily become king in 
his father’s stead. 


264 


BIBLEi-STORY BOOK 


One day Adonijah called his friends together and made a great 
feast for them in a valley jus|t outside the walls of Jerusalem. Joab, 
the captain of Davids army, and Abiathar, the high priest, were with 
Adonijah. They planned to make him the king of Israel after the feast 
should be ended, and they were rejoicing together and having a very 
good time indeed. 

But Nathan, the prophet of 'God, wlas troubled. He knew God had 
chosen Solomon to sit upon David’s throne, and he feared that David 
did not know of Adonijah ’s plan to take this place instead of Solomon. 
So Nathan came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and told her what was 
happening in the valley just outside the city wall. 

Now David had promised Bathsheba that her son, Solomon, should 
be the king after him, and she, too, was troubled when she heard about 
Adonijah ’s doings. She hurried to David’s bedside and asked if he 
had forgotten about his promise to make Solomon the next king of 
Israel. David said that he remembered the promise very well, and 
that God had chosen Solomon for the throne. Then Bathsheba told the 
old King that Adonijah and his friends were planning to take the king- 
dom away from Solomon. 

While Bathsheba was speaking, Nathan called to see David. He 
asked if David had given permission to Adonijah to take the throne 
after him. Then he told about the feast which was being held in the 
valley that very day, and he said, 4 ‘ The people are eating and drinking 
with your son Adonijah, and they are calling him their king.” 

David remembered the troubles that his wicked son Absalom had 
caused, and he feared that Adonijah would cause much trouble, too. 
So he thought that before his owln death it would be wise to have the 
young Prince Solomon anointed as king. He told his servants to bring 
his own mule from the stable and place Solomon upon it, then to,go with 
him to Gihon, where the priest Zadok should anoint Solomon with oil. 
Then he commanded that all his servants should blow their trumpets 
and cry aloud, “God save King Solomon!” Afterwards they should 
bring him back to the city and place him on the throne. 

Nathan called the priest and one of David’s brave soldiers and 
they quickly obeyed the King’s orders. And many people of the city 
saw Solomon riding on his father’s mule, with his father’s servants at- 
tending him, and they began toi shout for joy, because they knew Solo- 
mon had been made the king that day. The noise of their rejoicing 
was heard in the valley where Adonijah and his friends were feasting. 

Joab, the captain of David’s army, heard the sound of trumpets 
and he said, “There is an uproar in the city.” Being a brave soldier, 


HOW GOD SPOKE IN A DREAM TO SOLOMON 265 


he wished to go at once to find out the cause of the excitement in Jeru- 
salem. But while he was speaking a messenger came to tell what had 
taken place. 

Adonijah was frightened when he heard that his father had made 
Solomon to be the king of Israel. His guests, too, were afraid, and 
they hurriedly left the scene of their feasting and returned to their own 
homes. But Adonijah was afraid to go home. He knew Solomon would 
hear what he had been doing, and he feared the new King would cause 
him to be killed. So he ran to the tabernacle and caught hold; of the 
altar of God. 

When Solomon heard that Adonijah had run to the tabernacle for 
safety, he sent for his brother at once. Solomon was a peace-loving 
man and did not intend to put any one to death. The! servants told 
Adonijah that the new King would deal kindly with him if he would 
behave himself rightly, and Adonijah promised to do just as Solomon 
had asked. Then Solomon permitted him to return safely to his own 
house. 

David did not live very long after these things happened. Before 
he died he called Solomon to his bedside and urged him to obey God 
always. He spoke to him about many things that should be done, and 
urged Solomon to carry out his plans for the temple building in Jeru- 
salem. In all, David had reigned as a king for forty years. 


STORY 24 

HOW GOD SPOKE IN A DREAM TO SOLOMON 

1 Kings • 3 : 3-15 ; 4 : 29-34 ; 10 : 1-13 

God will help the ones who try 
In their work to please him well; 

Others then will glorify 

Him, and of his goodness tell. 

Solomon was not like his elder brothers, Absalom and Adonijah. 
Instead of wishing to seem great in the eyes of every one, he felt that 
he was too much like a child to know how to rule wisely over his people. 
He remembered that God had helped his father, David, and he wanted 
God to help him, too. 

One day soon after he became King, Solomon took one thousand 
burnt offerings to Gibeon, where a great altar stood, and there he sac- 
rificed them to God. All day long he watched them burning; and While 


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the smoke rose from the altar toward the sky, he sent an earnest prayer 
up to God for help. When darkness came he lay down to rest, but still 
he longed to have God speak to him. Finally sleep came to his weary 
eyes, and while he slept he had a wonderful dream. He saw God stand- 
ing near his bedside, and he heard God’s voice saying, “ Ask whatever 
you wish, and I will give it to you.” 

Solomon was just a young man, and there were many things that 
he might have desired. If he had been a selfish young man he would 
have asked for pleasure, or for great honor and riches. But Solomon 
did not ask for these things. At oncd he thought of the great work 
that was his to do, and he remembered how childlike he felt. So he 
answered, “0 Lord my God, you have made me to be King instead of 
my father, David, and I am only a child; I do not know how to rule 
these people. They are the people whom you have chosen to call your 
own, and now I ask you to give me an understanding heart so that I may 
know how to rule them well, and that I may know right from wrong. ’ ’ 

God was well pleased with Solomon’s desire, and he said, “Be- 
cause you have asked for wisdom instead of asking for selfish things, 
I am going to give you much wisdom, until you will be known in every 
nation round about because of your great understanding. And I will 
also give you what you have not asked for: great riches and honor I 
will give you, so that no king in any other land while you live shall be 
as wise and rich and honorable as you.” 

Solomon awoke and knew he had been dreaming. B!ut he felt sure 
that God had spoken to him, while he lay asleep, and he rose and went 
back to Jerusalem to the ark of God. There he offered more burnt 
offerings and peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. And 
he began at once to judge so> wisely that all his people were sure God 
Was blessing their new King with great understanding. And they 
feared him and served him with willing hearts. 

Soon the wisdom of Solomon was talked about in other countries. 
Down in Egypt, where many wise scholars lived, none were soi wise as 
the new King of Israel. And visitors came from every land to hear 
him speak his wise proverbs, and to hear the wonderful songs which 
he wrote. In the Bible many of his proverbs and songs are written, 
and we may read them in the books called Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and 
the Song of Solomon. 

One day after Solomon had been King for a long time, and after 
he had built the temple that David planned and many other beautiful 
houses, a visitor came from a far-off country to see him. This visitor 
was a woman, and she was queen of a| country called Sheba. In her 


HOW GOD SPOKE IN A DREAM TO SOLOMON 267 

home country she had heard much about the wise King who ruled in 
Israel, and she wished to find out for herself if he were quite as wise 
as people believed him to be. 

There were no railway-trains nor automobiles nor aeroplanes in 
that long-ago time, and the Queen of Sheba had to travel the distance 
across the sandy desert with a slow caravan of camels, like the Arabs 
use for crossing the desert lands today. But when she came at last 





WONDERFUL POOLS SOLOMON MADE 

to the end of her tiresome journey and saw all the splendors of Sol- 
omon’s kingdom— his beautiful palaces and the wonderful temple;, which 
he had built for God’s worship, the great host of servants who waited 
on him, their rich garments and daintily prepared foods— when she saw 
all these things and heard the wise answers that Solomon gave to all 
her questions, then she was glad she had come to see these things for 
herself. She said, “I did not believe all the things I heard in my home 
country, but now I see that not half of your greatness and wisdom had 


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been told to me.” And she blessed the God of Solomon, who had given 
him such great wisdom and riches and honor. 

The Queen of Sheba brought rich presents to Solomon from her 
country, and he gave gifts to her from his kingdom!. Precious gifts 
they were ; and she stored them away for safe-keeping when she started 
with her train of servants on the long, dangerous journey back to her 
own land. 


STORY 25 

THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD, WHICH SOLOMON BUILT 
ON MOUNT MORIAH 

1 Kings 5: 1—9: 9 

While David was King of Israel he planned to build a beautiful 
house near his palace in Jerusalem and call it the temple of the Lord. 
He planned to build it just like the tabernacle had been built by Moses 
and his helpers in the wilderness, only this wias to be a house of wood 
and stone instead of a tent. 

But God did not want David to build such a place. He said, “You 
have been a man of war and you can not build a house for my pres- 
ence to dwell in. Your son Solomon, who shall reign after you, will 
be a man of peace, and he shall build the temple.” So David did not 
begin the work of the building, but he planned many things for the 
time when this work should be done. And before dying he explained 
his plans carefully to Solomon and urged the young King to carry 
them out. 

Not long afterwards Solomon wrote a letter to Hiram, the king of 
T^yre, a country by the seashore. In that country many beautiful 
cedar- and fir-trees; grew up on the Mountains of Lebanon, and Sol- 
omon wished to get wood from some of these trees to use in building 
the temple. He told Hiram about his purpose to build the house of 
God which his father, David, had planned to build, and asked permis- 
sion to buy some of these trees. 

Hiram had been a dear friend of David’s, and now he was glad to 
help David’s son. He allowed Solomon to send men to that country 
to work with his, Hiram’s, servants in the Mountains, cutting down 
the great trees. After the trees were cut, the men dragged them to the 
seashore and threw them into the water, and they were floated down 
the coast to a place not very far from Jerusalem. Here they drew 
the wet logs from the sea and sawed them into boards.. 


THE TEMPtLEi WHICH SOLOMON BUILT 


269 


While this work was going on, Solomon had other men digging 
great stones out of the earth and cutting them into shape for the 
foundation-stones of the new building. He ordered that every stone 
should be cut to fit another, so that all of them might be ready to go 
into their proper places when they should he brought to Jerusalem. 

So great was the task of building the temple that Solomon ap- 
pointed thousands of men to help in the work. They made every part 
ready to be put together with other parts without using nails or ham- 
mers. And they worked seven years on the building before it was 
finished. 



THE BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE SOLOMON BUILT 


The temple stood on top of the mount, Moriah, where David had 
seen the angel stand with the drawn sword stretched over the city. 
There, you remember, he bought the threshing-floor from Araunah and 
built upon it an altar to worship God. At the same place where his 
altar stood, the great altar of burnt offerings for the temple was built. 
This great altar was made of rough stones that had not been out to fit 
each other, for so God had commanded his people to build the altars 
upon which they should offer their sacrifices to him. 

Only the priests were allowed inside the inner court and the rooms 
of the temple, but around these Solomon commanded that a wide outer 
court should be built, and the men of Israel were permitted to walk in 


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this outer court. No person from another nation, however, was al- 
lowed to pass inside the outer wall of the great building. 

When the building was finished, Solomon called all the men of 
Israel to< come to Jerusalem; from every part of his kingdom. Then 
he went with them to the house of God and offered many sacrifices upon 
the great altar of rough stones. The ark of God was brought from 
Mount Zion and placed in the holy of holies, that inner room behind 
the great curtain, where only the high priest might go. And other 
furniture that belonged in the tabernacle was placed in the temple 
just as God had commanded it to be placed in the tent-house that 
Moses had built. When the priests had carried the ark of God and other 
furniture into the building, God filled the temSple with a cloud just as 
he had filled the tabernacle with a cloud many years before. And all 
the people knew by this sign that God was pleased to let his presence 
dwell in the house that Solomon had built. 

Solomon knew that God was greater than the house that he had 
built for him. He knew that God’s presence filled all the heavens, and 
that God does not dwell in only one place, but that his presence is 
everywhere. He prayed a, beautiful prayer to God in the presence of 
all the people, and asked God to let his blessings always rest upon that 
place. He asked that God would always hear the prayer of every one 
who should pray for forgiveness in that house. And when Solomon 
had ended his prayer, and all the people had finished their wiorship, he 
dismissed them and sent them back to their homes. 

God spoke to Solomon in a dream again after the temple was 
finished. This time he said, “If you will walk before me as David, your 
father, did, with always a desire *to keep my lawjs and to do mv com- 
mands, then I will bless your children! after you forever. But if you 
will forsake me, you or your children, to worship other gods, then I will 
despise this house that you have built for my name. And I will allow 
other nations to take away your kingdom and to bring much sorrow 
to your people.” 


STORY 26 

THE LAST DAYS OF KING SOLOMON 

1 Kings 11 

Solomon ruled Israel for many years after he had built the beau- 
tiful temple of the Lord. During those years his kingdom rose to its 


THE LAST DAYS OF KING SOLOMON 271 

greatest glory and power, and his fame was told in countries far and 
wide. 

But Solomon ’s last days were not his best days. In the begin- 
ning of his reign he followed closely the good example of his father, 
who loved and served God. But as he grew older he married daugh- 
ters of kings from 1 other countries and brought them to live in his 
palaces at Jerusalem. These strange young princesses were idol-wor- 
shipers, and instead of learning to serve the God of Israel they brought 
their heathen gods to Jerusalem and worshiped them there. Solomon 
loved these young women and he thought it would be unkind not to do 
for them whatever they should ask. So when they requested him to 
build temples for their gods, he did so. That was not all; he even 
went with them into these heathen temples and bowed down before the 
heathen gods. 

It seems strange that a man who had received so many great bless- 
ings from the Lord God of the whole earth should ever bow down be- 
fore wood and stone to worship gods that can neither see nor hear, 
much less answer prayer. But Solomon, with all his great wisdom, 
seemed to forget the very One to whom he owed himself and all his 
wonderful success as a king. No wonder God was displeased with him. 
No wonder God allowed enemies to rise up to trouble 1 Solomon in his 
last days. And finally God told him that the kingdom of Israel should 
be taken away from him forever, and that only one of the twelve tribes 
would honor his son as their ruler. 

In his great wisdom Solomon had planned and erected many great 
buildings besides the temjple and his palaces in Jerusalem 1 . He had 
caused large storehouses to be built in different parts of his kingdom 
in which his servants stored away the grain and fruits which they 
gathered from the fields. He had beautified many places in the land 
of Israel. All this work cost money, and he had taxed his own people 
and the nations that served him to raise the money for his building- 
work. This caused the people to become restless and to feel dissatis- 
fied with him. 

At this time there was a young man among Solomon’s servants 
named Jeroboam. This young man toiled so faithfully that Solomon 
made him overseer of all his building-workmen. One day God sent a 
prophet to speak to Jeroboam as he was leaving Jerusalem. 

Alii jah, the prophet, met Jeroboam in a field just outside Jeru- 
salem, and stopped the young man to speak to him. Then he did a very 
strange thing indeed. He took off his new mantle, or cloak, and tore 
it into twelve pieces. Ten of the pieces he gave to Jeroboam, saying 


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as he did so, ‘ 1 Take these ; for surely the Lord God of Israel will tear 
the kingdom of Israel out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten 
tribes to you, because Solomon has turned aside to worship other gods. 
One tribe will the Lord leave for Solomon’s son, for he will not forget 
his promise to David, that his children’s children shall sit upon his 
throne in Jerusalem.” 



A PICTURE OF MODERN SHECHEM, THE CITY WHERE REHOBOAM MET THE PEOPLE 


Solomon heard what the prophet had done ; but instead of repent- 
ing of his wickedness as David did, he tried to kill Jeroboam. Know- 
ing about the King’s intention, Jeroboam ran away from the land of 
Israel and went to live among the people of Egypt. There he stayed 
until he heard that King Solomon had died. 


PART FIFTH 

STORIES ABOUT THE DIVIDED KINGDOM 

.2 and 2 Kings; 1 'and 2 Chronicles ; Jonah; Jeremiah 
STOKY 1 

THE FOOLISH YOUNG PRINCE WHO LOST HIS FATHER’S 

KINGDOM 

1 Kings 12:1-24 

Kindness pays in ev’ry dealing: 

Harsh words always bring distress, 

Hatred, and much bitter feeling — 

They were never known to bless 
Those in sorrow or in grief. 

’Tis kind words that bring relief. 

The young Prince Rehoboam grew up in the palace at Jerusalem 
during the years when the kingdom of Israel was in its greatest glory. 
He had seen all the wealth and splendor of his father, Solomon, and 
he had heard his father’s rare wisdom spoken and sung throughout 
the court. He had lived in sight of the beautiful temple of the Lord, 
and he had seen people come from every part of the land to worship 
God at that place. 

But Rehoboam had not learned to worship God. His mother, who 
had been a heathen Princess before she married Solom'on, had not 
taught her son the religion of the Israelites. She had taught him to 
worship the gods in the idol-temple that Solomon had built for her at 
Jerusalem. And now Rehoboam was an idol-worshiper like his mother. 

After Solomon died, Rehoboam was the next one chosen to sit 
upon David ’s throne. But the men of Israel wtere in no hurry to crown 
him. First they sent to Egypt and brought back the young man Jero- 
boam, who had run away after Solomon heard what the prophet Ahijah 
had told him in the field near Jerusalem. They took Jeroboam for their 
leader, and met with Rehoboam! in the city of Shechem, which was 
north of Jerusalem and nearer to the center of the land. Then they 
talked with Rehoboam and told him about their feelings; for they 
Wanted the new King to promise certain things before they would 
accept him in the place of his father. 


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BIBLE, -STORY BOOKS 


But Rekoboam was not ready to give an answer at once. He was 
not a thoughtful young man like his father had been. He cared more 
for pleasure and for riches than he did for wisdom. He did not know 
about the unhappy feelings of his people, for he had never been poor 
and driven to heavy work. He told the people to wait three days and 
then come again to hear his answer. 

After the people went away, Rehoboam wondered what he should 
tell them when they should return. He decided to call the old men who 
used to help his father rule the great kingdom, and ask them what he 
should say in answer to the people’s request. Now this was a wise 
thing to do; for these old men understood hoW restless the Israelites 
were becoming during the last days of Solomon’s rule, and they told 
the young prince to speak kindly to thq people and promise to make 
their work easier. 

But Rehoboam was not pleased with the old men’s advice. He was 
very proud, and he thought it would not become him as a rich young 

Prince to speak kindly to serv- 
ants, so he sent the old men 
away and called for the idle 
young princes who had grown 
aip as his companions in Jeru- 
salem. Them he asked what 
to do, and they urged him to 
speak roughly to the people 
and threaten to make their 
work harder than ever because 
they had dared to ask for eas- 
ier services. “Teach them 
that as a king you will do just 
what you please,” they said; 
and Rehoboam thought their 
advice sounded good, so he ac- 
cepted it. 

At the end of three days 
the people came again with 
Jeroboam to hear what Reho- 
boam would answer them. And he stood up in their presence and spoke 
harsh words, saying he would deal more severely with them than Sol- 
omon had dealt. He thought they would fear him and respect him if he 
should act like a stem ruler. 

But Rehoboam was mistaken about his people. YJien they heard 



REHOBOAM REFUSING THE OLD MEN’S 
COUNSEL 


THE STORY ABOUT TWO GOLDEN CALVES 


275 


liis answer, they cried, 4 ‘Then we will not have you to rule over us. 
We will return to our own homes and we will fight before w^e will become 
your servants. ’ ’ And nearly all of them went away. Only the men of the 
tribe of Judah stayed to anoint Rehoboam as their king. 

Rehoboam believed that the other people would soon become will- 
ing to acknowledge him as their king, too, so he sent one of Ms officers 
to them to collect money as his father had done. But the angry men took 
the officer and threw stones at him until he died. Then Rehoboam knew 
that the people were much displeased with him, and he feared them 
greatly. He called for his chariot, and rode in haste to Jerusalem to get 
away from them. 

After he came to Jerusalem, Rehoboam decided to send soldiers from 
the tribe of Judah to fight against the men of the other tribes and com- 
pel them to return to his kingdom. But God sent a prophet to tell him 
not to send these men to fight against the other men of Israel, for there 
would never again be one kingdom as there had been under the rule of 
David and of Solomon. And Rehoboam listened to the prophet’s words 
and kept the soldiers at home. 


STORY 2 

THE STORY ABOUT TWO GOLDEN CALVES 

1 Kings 12:25-13:6 

The people of the ten tribes who refused to crown Rehoboam for 
their king, gathered in another great meeting and chose a ruler for them- 
selves. They chose Jeroboam, and he set up his kingdom at Shechem. 

Jeroboam remembered the words that the prophet Ahijah had 
told him!, and he knew it was God who caused the people to choose him 
for their king. He remembered, too, that the prophet had said God 
would bless him very much if he would try to rule the people wisely and 
if he would seek to do right as David had done. 

But Jeroboam had never trusted God so fully as David trusted 
him. He believed he should try to help himself as much as possible 
without expecting God to help him when he helped himself. He had 
seen the idol-temples that Solomon built for his heathen wives at 
Jerusalem. Perhaps he even knew that sometimes Solomon himself 
went into those temples to worship. Then when he had fled from Sol- 
omon to hide in Egypt he saw the worship of! the Egyptians. ‘These 
people, you remember, worshiped animals, and believed that cattle 


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BIBLEi-STOKY BOOK 


and cats and such tilings were sacred. They built large temples for 
sacred oxen, and worshiped them with sacrifices. 

Jeroboam was afraid to let his people go down to Jerusalem to 
worship God in the beautiful temple, which Solomon had built. He 
thought they might wish to become one nation again with the people 
of Judah if they should go often to the temple. So he thought he would 
try to change their religion. 

First he collected much gold ; then he had it melted together into 
one great mass. From this mass he had two images of calves molded. 

These he set up before the peo- 
ple. Then he said, “It is too far 
for you to go all the long way to 
Jerusalem to worship God; you 
may wlorship him here in your 
own land. I will build two places 
of worship ; one at Bethel, in the 
southern part of the land, and the 
other at Dan, in the northern part 
of the land. And I will set up 
one of these golden calves in each 
place, for these are the gods 
which brought your fathers out 
of the land of Egypt. ’ ’ 

Then Jeroboam built houses 
for the golden calves, one in 
altars at those places to offer sac- 
rifices to the gods ; and he chose men to be priests, just as the Levites 
were chosen to be priests in the worship of the true God. He also 
appointed feast-days at the same time of year as the feasts were held 
at Jerusalem, because he did not want his people to go down to wor- 
ship at Jerusalem at any time. 

This was a great sin, and God was much displeased with Jero- 
boam. He would have kept the people of Israel from uniting again 
with the people of Judah even] if they had continued to go to worship 
at Jerusalem. But Jeroboam had not trusted God to keep the king- 
dom, he was trying to keep it for himiself. 

God sent a prophet to Bethel to cry out against the evil that Jero- 
boam had done by causing the people to worship the golden calves. 
When the prophet came, Jeroboam was offering a sacrifice upon the 
altar that he had built at that place. The prophet came bravely up to 
the altar and told about some dreadful things that would happen upon 



ONE OF THE GOLDEN CALVES 


Bethel and one in Dan. He made 


277 





BETHEL, WHERE JEROBOAM PLACED A GOLDEN CALF 









278 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


it some day. He said that God would give a sign to prove the words 
were true that he had spoken about the altar. The sign was to be that 
the altar would suddenly fall apart and the ashes would pour out 
upon the ground. 

Jeroboam became angry when he heard the prophet’s words, and 
he commanded his servants to catch the man. He, too, reached out his 
hand to seize the man of God, but when he did so his hand became stiff 
and the flesh dried onto the bone. He could not move the hand at all. 
Just at that moment the stones of the altar fell apart, letting the ashes 
pour down upon the ground, and Jeroboam knew that God was causing 
these things to happen. 

Now the wicked King of Israel was very much frightened, indeed. 
He forgot that he had wanted to hurt the man of God, and he began 
to beg earnestly that the prophet would call upon the Lord and pray 
that his Withered hand be made well. When the prophet prayed, God 
was merciful to Jeroboam and caused his hand to be restored as well 
as it had been before. 


STORY 3 

WHY A PROPHET WAS KILLED BY A LION 

1 Kings 13:7-32 

The prophet whoi spoke to Jeroboam at the altar of Bethel had 
been warned by the Lord not to eat nor drink in that place, but to 
return at once to his own home, by a different road from that which 
he had traveled when coming to Bethel. So when Jeroboam urged 
him to stay a while and rest from his journey, the prophet answered 
that he could not because God had warned him not to eat nor drink in 
that place. Even the offer of a reward from the King did not cause 
the prophet to remain in Bethel. 

When he turned to go away, some young mien who were standing 
near hurried home to) tell their father about the words that this man 
of God had spoken to the wicked King. Now their father was also a 
prophet, and he Wished very much to see this brave man who dared to 
talk so boldly to the wicked ruler. He asked his sons which way the 
prophet of Judah had gone, and they told him. Then he called for 
his ass, and they saddled and brought the animal to him. 

As the old man hurried along the way to overtake the prophet 
from Judah he decided to tempt him to disobey God. Presently he 
came upon a man sitting under an oak-tree by the roadside. He stopped 


WHY A PROPHET WAS HILLED BY A LION 


279 


his beast and asked, “Are yon the prophet from Judah?” The man 
replied, ‘ ‘ I am. ” “ Then comie with me, ’ ’ he said, 4 ‘ for I want yon to 
eat bread at my home.” But the prophet answered, “I can not go, for 
God has commanded me not to eat nor drink in this place.” 

The old man then told a lie to the prophet. He said, “An angel 
told me to bring you back to my home in the city of Bethel to eat bread. ’ ’ 
The prophet believed this lie, and lie rose and went back with the old 
man to the city. But while he was eating and drinking God spoke to 
him and rebuked him for his disobedience. He told the prophet that 
he would surely be punished, for he had known what he was supposed 
to do and he did not need an angel to speak other words than God’s 
words to him. 

The prophet rose from his meal and started once more for his 
homeland. But he had not gone far outside the city when a lion came 
out of the woods and killed him. The lion did not try to eat his flesh, 
but stood quietly wlatching his dead body. And the ass upon which 
the prophet had been riding stood near by as if waiting for his master 
to rise up again and mount him. He did not seem to be afraid of the 
lion. 

By and by some people came along the road, and they saw the 
lion and the ass and the body of a dead man lying between them. 
These people hurried to the city and told what they had seen. And the 
old man who had called the prophet back to eat bread at his house, said, 
“ This must be the prophet whom the lion has killed. I will go and see 
for myself. 9 ’ So he commanded his sons the second time to saddle his 
ass, that he might ride out to see what had happened to the prophet 
from Judah. And he found the lion, and there, too, lying torn beside 
the road, he saw the prophet’s body. 

The old man was sorry when he saw what had befallen his friend. 
He picked up the dead body and placed it upon the ass and took it back 
to the city, and there he buried it in the grave that he had prepared 
for himself. Then he mourned for the dead man. And he com- 
manded his sons to bury him, when he should die, in the same grave, 
with the prophet who had been faithful to cry aloud against the sins 
of Jeroboam, but who had failed to obey all the wordsi of the Lord. 


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STORY 4 

WHAT THE BLIND PROPHET TOLD THE QUEEN OF ISRAEL 

1 Kings 14:1-20 

King Jeroboam and his wife, the Queen, had a dear little son whom 
they called Abijah. He was a good child, and they hoped that some 
day he would become a strong man. But one day the child became 
side, and for many days afterwards he lay upon his bed not caring any 
more to run about and play like other children. 

When weeks passed by and still the little Prince lay suffering, his 
parents feared that he might die. Finally Jeroboam decided to ask 
a prophet of God whether his little boy would ever be well again. But 
he was afraid to have the Lord’s prophet know that he was sending 
to find out. He knew he had not pleased God when he made the golden 
calves. He was afraid the prophet would reprove him for his wrong- 
doing. So he told his wife to go to visit Ahijah, the old prophet who 
had given him the ten pieces of a tom garment and had told him that 
he should become} the first king of Israel. 

Ahijah was now 1 an old man, and he was blind. Jeroboam’s wife 
dressed herself in shabby clothes and pretended that she was some 
poor woman in trouble. Then she took ten loaves of bread and some 
cakes and a bottle of honey as a gift for the prophet, and started on 
her journey. Her heart was very heavy, for she loved her child and 
she was afraid he might never be well again. She hurried along the 
dusty road, wishing to finish her errand as soon as possible and return 
again to the bedside of the little Prince. 

Although Ahijah was blind, yet the Queen did not deceive him. 
God had caused him to know that he would have a visitor and who his 
visitor would be. When the Queen came to the door, he said, ‘ ‘ Come 
in, wife of Jeroboam; why are you trying to make me believe that you 
are another woman? I have sad news to tell you: today.” 

Jeroboam, and his wife had forgotten that God might speak to a 
blind prophet as easily as to one who could see. So now the Queen was 
surprized to hear Ahijah ’s words. She came into the room and gave 
her offering to the blind old man. Then she listened while he told her 
the words of the Lord. 

“Go home again to your husband,” said he, “and tell him that 
God has said he must be punished because he has refused to do right 
and to rule his people wisely. He has made idols of gold and has 
caused his people to serve them and to cast the Lord behind their backs. 


A KING WHO TRIED TO DESTROY IDOL-WORSHIP 281 


Now instead of having blessings he shall have sorrows. This sick child, 
whom he loves, shall die, and shall be buried in honor and mourned 
by the people of the kingdom. But his other sons and daughters shall 
be killed and the kingdom! shall be taken away from Jeroboam! ’s house 
forever. ’ ’ 

The prophet said that the little Prince would die at the moment 
when the Queen should enter her home city, and she would never see 
him alive again. So when she turned away from Ahijah’s homei her 
heart was very sad. Just as she entered her home city, little Abijah 
took his last breath, and when she came to his room he was lying dead 
upon his bed. 

The words of the prophet came to pass, and after Jeroboam died 
his son Who took the throne was killed by another wicked man. Then 
all the children of Jeroboam were killed and their dead bodies were 
thrown out into the streets and into the fields for the wild dogs and the 
birds to eat. This was the dreadful punishment for Jeroboam’s sin 
of idolatry in the kingdom of Israel. 


STORY 5 

THE STORY OF A KING WHO TRIED TO DESTROY 
IDOL-WORSHIP 

1 Kings 15:8-24; 2 Ohron. 14:1-16:14 

A thoughtful young prince was growing up in Jerusalem during 
the years that Rehoboam and his son Abijah ruled the kingdom of 
Judah. This young prince wasi Abi jail’s son and Rehoboam ’s grand- 
son. His name was Asa. 

When Abijah died, after ruling Judah only three years, Asa be- 
came the new King. And Asa began at once to rule his people wisely. 
He had seen that the cause of all their trouble had been due to their 
forgetfulness of the true God, and now he endeavored to turn his peo- 
ple ’s minds back to the right kind of worship. He began by command- 
ing his servants to tear down and destroy every; idol they could find 
in the land, and to break tin pieces the altars that had been built to wor- 
ship strange gods. 

One day Asa learned that his own grandmother, who had been 
Queen since the time that Rehoboam ruled in Judah, was worshiping 
an idol. Asa thought, “This will never do at all. My grandmother 


282 


BIBLEi-STORY BOOK 


can no longer be Queen, for she sets the wrong kind of example be- 
fore my people.” So he refused to allow her to be Queen any longer, 
although she was an old lady. And he tore down her idol, stamped it 
in the dust, and then) burned it near the brook outside the city. He 
wanted his people to forsake their idols entirely and turn to serve the 
true God. 

For ten years King Asa) had peace, in his country. During that 
time he strengthened his kingdom and ruled wisely. And his people 
loved him. Then God allowed a strong army from the country of 
Ethiopia to come against hisi kingdom and try to destroy it. Asa’s 
soldiers could not drive this enemy away. But Asa believed it would 
be just as easy for God to drive away a strong enemy as a weak one, 
so he prayed earnestly, and God heard his prayer. The Ethiopians 
were defeated before Asa’s men and they ran back toward their own 
land. Asa and his soldiers followed them and found many valuable 
things that these frightened strangers had thrown away in their haste 
to escape. God caused his fear to fall upon the people who lived in 
the country places where Asa and his soldiers followed after the Ethi- 
opians, and from these places Asa’s men gathered many sheep and 
cattle to take back to Jerusalem. So this was a great victory for the 
King of Judah and his people. 

After this victory God sent a prophet to speak to Asa and urge 
him to be always true. The prophet said, ‘ 4 The Lord is with you now, 
for you are trying to please him. If you will ask his help at any timie, 
he will bless you; but if you forsake him as your fathers have done, 
then he will forsake you. ’ ’ And Asa decided to keep true to God. 

Soon the people who lived in the kingdom] of Israel began to hear 
that God was blessing the King of Judah, and they went again to wor- 
ship the Lord in Jerusalem. They brought many animals for sacri- 
fice, and they joined with Asa’s people in seeking God with their whole 
hearts. And God was well pleased with them. For twenty years he 
did not allow an enemy to trouble the land of Judah. 

But Baasha, the king of Israel, grew jealous of Asa because some 
of his people had gone to live in] Judah. He planned to build a strong 
city at the southern part of his country and station soldiers there to 
prevent any of his people from going down into Judah to worship God. 
Neither did he want any of the people from Judah to come up into> his 
kingdom, for fear they would teach his people to love God and try to 
go to Jerusalem to worship. 

King Asa heard about Baasha ’s plan and he was much displeased. 
He tried to think of a way to prevent Baasha from carrying out his 


WHY BIRDS FED A PROPHET BY THEi BROOK 283 


plan. But he did not ask God to help. Instead, he took some gold and 
silver coins out of the nnoney-box in the temple and sent them as a gift 
to a heathen king who lived north of the kingdom of Israel. He asked 
that king to trouble Baasha ’s country on the north and cause him to 
leave his work at the southern part of his land. The heathen king did 
as Asa requested, and Baasha left his work and hastened up to drive 
his enemy away. While he was gone, Asa and his soldiers destroyed 
all the work that Baastha had done in trying to build the strong city 
of Rarnah. 

God sent a prophet to tell Asa that he had done wrong by asking 
a heathen king to help him instead of asking help from the Lord. “Be- 
cause you have done this,” the prophet said, “you shall have wars as 
long as you live.” But Asa did not believe the words of the prophet. 
He became angry and commanded his servants to cast the prophet into 
the prison-house. 

Some years later King Asa became diseased in his feet, and he suf- 
fered a great deal. But he did not ask God to heal him of his disease. 
He spent much money hiring doctors, who tried to cure him, but they 
could not. After two more years Asa died, and he Was buried in his 
own sepulcher, or tomb, in Jerusalem. He had ruled as. King longer 
than any of the kings of Judah before him. 


STORY 6 

WHY BIRDS FED A PROPHET BY THE BROOK NEAR JORDAN 

1 Kings 16:29-17:24 

Things were not going well in the kingdom of Israel, where the 
people were worshiping the golden calves instead of the true God. 
Each new king who sat upon the throne did just as wickedly as the 
king who ruled before him, and sometimes even worse. Finally, in 
the last years that Asa ruled in Judah Ahab took the throne of Israel. 

Now Ahab was not fit to be a king. He did more evil in the sight 
of the Lord than any king who had ruled before his time. Not only 
did he worship the golden calves which Jeroboam had made, but he 
married Jezebel, a wicked princess, who brought her heathen religion 
into his land. And Ahab built temples for her gods .and went into the 
temples to worship the gods with her. Ahab ’s wife brought much dis- 
tress into the land of Israel. She was not satisfied to see her husband 
worshiping her idols; she wanted to destroy all the true religion out 


284 


BOLE-STORY BOOK 


/ 



ARABS CAMPING NEAR WHERE ELIJAH STATED 





WHY BIRDS FED A PROPHET 1 BY THE, BROOK 285 


of the land. She brought many priests of Baal from her home country 
and commanded that all the prophets of the Lord should be killed. 
And her wickedness was great before the Lord. 

One day Ahab was much surprized to see a strange-looking man, 
dressed in a hairy mantle, standing before him. This man was the 
prophet Elijah, and God had sent him to speak to the King of Israel. 
Before the King had time to ask his visitor what he wanted, Elijah 
said to him, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, 
there shall be neither dew 1 nor rain any more in all your land until I 
announce it. ’ ’ Then Elijah turned and walked away as suddenly as he 
had come. 

At first Ahab paid no attention to what Elijah had spoken. But 
when the days began to pass and no more dew formed on the ground, 
Ahab remembered Elijah’s w|ords. He sent men out to search every- 
where for this strange-looking prophet; but they could not find him. 
And Ahab grew alarmjed. He knew there would be a famine in his 
country if there should be no more dew nor rain, so he sent to other 
countries, asking the kings to help him find the mjan who had brought 
trouble and sorrow upon him and upon his people. 

Now God had told Elijah where to go to hide from King Ahab. 
And Elijah had walked rapidly away from the King’s palace to a hid- 
ing-place by the Brook Cherith. Here, when the rains no longer fell, 
he could drink water from the Brook that trickled over the rocks at 
his feet. And here the birds brought bread and meat to him every 
morning and every evening, just as God had said they would do. 

But when the days passed by and no rain fell anywhere in the land, 
the water of the Brook began to dry up. Elijah saw that it was not 
going to last much longer, and perhaps he wlondered what he should 
do. Then, God spoke to him again and told him to leave his hiding- 
place and go to a heathen city called Zarephath. God said that a widow 
would take care of him in that city. And although Elijah had to cross 
through the land of Israel, he was not afraid to obey God’s voice. 

Near the gate of Zarephath Elijah noticed a poorly dressed woman 
gathering sticks to burn. He saw by her dress that she was a widow, 
and he thought, “Perhaps this is the widow to whom the Lord has 
sent me.” So he| spoke to the woman and asked her for a drink of 
water. Although she did not know him, the widow started into the city 
to get water for him to drink. Then Elijah called her and said, “Please 
bring me a little food also, for I am very hungry.” 

Now the widow stopped and turned around toi speak to the stran- 
ger who was asking for both water and food. She said, “I have no 


286 


BIBLE1-ST0EY BOOK 


bread to give you. I have only a handful of meal and a little oil in my 
house, and I was picking up sticks when you came, intending to make 
a fire to bake my last bit of food for miyself and my son before we die 
of hunger.’ ’ 

“Do not be afraid,” said Elijah; “do just as you had planned, 
but first make a little cake for me and then bake cakes for yourself and 



ELIJAH BEING FED BY THE BIRDS 


for your son. For the Lord God of Israel has commanded that your 
barrel of meal and your bottle of oil shall not become empty as long 
as the famine ]asts.” 

The widow hurried into the city to do as Ellijah had commanded, 
and she found that she had plenty of meal to bake three cakes instead 
of only two. And every day after that time she baked cakes from her 
handful of meal and from her little drop of oil. And always she found 
just enough meal and just enough oil to feed herself and her family. 
And she kept Elijah, the prophet, in her home for a whole year. 


HOW GOD SHOWED HIS GREAT POWER 


287 


Now Elijah was very thankful to the poor widow who showed such 
kindness to him. And when one day her son took very sick, and died, 
Elijah felt sorry for her. She came to tell him about her trouble and 
said, “0 man; of God, have you come here to remind me of my sins, 
that I should be punished in this why?” And Elijah answered, “Give 
me your son.” He picked up the breathless body of the young child 
and carried it upstairs to the loft, where he hid himself. Then he 
placed the child upon his bed and prayed earnestly to God and said, 
“0 Lord my God, let this child’s soul come into him again.” And the 
Lord heard Elijah’s prayer and restored life into the child. Then 
Elijah took him in his arms and carried him down-stairs again to give 
him to his mother. 

The widow was very happy when she saw 1 that her son was alive 
once more. She said, “Now by this I know that you are a man of God, 
and that the words of the Lord in your mouth are true words.” 


STORY 7 

HOW GOD SHOWED HIS GREAT POWER ON MOUNT CARMEL 

1 Kings 18 : 1-40 

After Elijah’s visit to King Ahab there was no rain nor dew in all 
the land of Israel nor in the countries near by for three years. During 
that time the grass on the hillsides had withered and died and the fields 
everywhere had begun to look like waste-lands where nothing could 
ever grow again. The farmers could raise no crops or vegetables, and 
the people in the land were suffering from hunger. Many of their ani- 
mals had died, and even the horses and mules that belonged to the 
King were gaunt, hungry-looking beasts. 

Now Ahab was very sure that there might never be rain again urn- 
til Elijah would return to announce it. And he wished to find where 
Elijah had gone, so that he could send and bring him back to his palace. 
Perhaps he thought he would punish Elijah in some cruel manner to 
force him to let rain come again. So he commanded his messengers to 
search everywhere for the missing prophet. But always the messen- 
gers returned with the same report: “We have found no trace of him.” 
No one seemed to know the least thing as to Elijah’s whereabouts. 

One day Ahab called his chief servant Obadiah, a good man, and 
said, “We must find pasture-land somewhere for these horses and 
mules or else they .will die. Now, we will divide the land, and you go 


288 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


one way while I go the other w|ay to search for springs of water where 
grassy spots may be found.” So they two separated, each going in a 
different direction. 

Obadiah had not gone far when to his surprize he met a stranger 
dressed in a hairy mantle. He knew at once that this stranger was 
Elijah, and he fell on his face before him, crying, “Are you my lord 
Elijah?” The stranger replied, “I am. And now hurry back to Ahab 
and tell him that I have come.” 

Obadiah was very much afraid to obey the prophet’s command. 
He feared that Elijah would disappear as soon as he should turn back 
to speak to -the King, and then he knew Ahab would become so angry 
that he might kill him. So he told Elijah how carefully the King had 
searched for him, not only in the land of Israel, but also in the neigh- 
boring kingdoms. And he said, “The King knows thnt I, his servant, 
fear the Lord, and if I tell himj that you have come and then he can not 
find you, he will believe I have hidden you as I hid the prophets of the 
Lord whom Jezebel, the Queen, tried to kill. And he will surely take 
my life.” 

Elijah spoke encouraging words to Obadiah and promised to show 
himself to King Ahab that very day. So the servant turned and) ran 
hurriedly back to overtake his ruler and to tell him that Elijah had 
come. 

When Ahab heard that Elijah had been found, no longer was he 
interested in finding pasture-land for his starving animjals. Now> he 
wanted to see the strange-looking prophet who, he believed, had dared 
to bring so much trouble upon him and upon his people. So he hurried 
back with Obadiah to the place where Elijah had met him. 

Because Elijah knew God had sent him to speak to the angry King 
he was not at all afraid when Ahab came near and asked, “Are you 
the man who has been troubling my country?” 

Elijah answered, “No, I am not the man who has been troubling 
your country; you and your father’s house are the guilty ones. You 
have forsaken the commandments of the Lord God and have worshiped 
the gods of the heathen, and by so doing you have brought this trouble 
upon yourselves.” 

Elijah, instead of Ahab, seemed to be the chief speaker in this 
meeting, just as he had been in their first meeting three years before. 
Now he told the King to call all the prophets of the idol Baal, whom 
Jezebel had brought into the land, and bring them to Mount Carmel, 
and all the people of the kingdom, too. And Ahab hastened to do just 
as the prophet said. 


HOW GOD SHOWED HIS GREAT POWE1R 



289 


MOUNT CARMEL. WHERE THE PRIESTS AND PROPHET MET, AND THE SEA OUT OF WHICH THE 

LITTLE CLOUD AROSE 



290 


BIBLE, -STORY BOOK 


When the great host of curious people came together at the meet- 
ing-place, there they saw the man whom their King had been searching 
for during the dreary years of famine. And they listened quietly while 
Elijah spoke to them. 

“Why are you following first one god and then another V 9 asked 
the prophet. “If the Lord be the true God, why not follow him? but 
if Baal be the true God, then do not turn again to followi the Lord.” 

The people were not ready to answer Elijah, so he told them that 
he had come to prove to them that very day which is the true God. 
He said, “I and the prophets of Baal have mjet with you here. I am 
only one, and Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Now 
I ask that you bring two bullocks for sacrifices, and we will build two 
altars and will prepare our* sacrifices and lay them on the altars, and 
the God who will answer by fire, let him be the God. ’ ’ 

Elijah’s words pleased the people, and they quickly brought the 
offerings for the sacrifices. They wished to see what would happen 
next. 

Elijah then told the prophets of Baal to choose which bullock they 
wanted, and he took the one that Was left. He told them to build their 
altar and offer their bullock first, and call upon Baal to send fire from 
heaven to burn up the sacrifice that they offered. 

There were many of Baal’s priests, and it did not take them long 
to prepare everything ready for the offering of their bullock. But 
when they began to pray to Baal, no answer came. They cried earn- 
estly from morning until noonday, and still no fire fell. Elijah stood 
by, watching. He knew Baal could never send fire from heaven, and 
he said to the prophets, “Perhaps you should cry louder, for Baal 
may be sleeping. Or he may be gone on a journey, or he may be talk- 
ing with such a loud voice that he can not hear your prayers. ’ ’ The 
prophets cried louder than ever, and danced about their altar, cutting 
themselves with sharp knives until the blood streamed down their 
bodies. They thought perhaps their god would be moved with pity 
if he should see them} suffering; but still no answer came from Baal 
and no fire fell from the sky. 

By and by, when the time came for the evening sacrifice at the 
temple in Jerusalem, Elijah called the people to come near and watch 
while he should rebuild the altar of the Lord, which had been torn 
down at that place. HJe chose twelve rough stones and piled them to- 
gether for the altar. Then he dug a deep ditch around the altar, and 
after he had laid wood upon the altar and the sacrifice-offering upon 
the wood he commanded the people to bring three barrels of water and 




I ! ri&i ^■■ r ,rtp® ssm]rs ' 

ELIJAH PRAYING DOWN FIRE 
FROM HEAVEN. 


unjuHiiiaiHinmiu^itmiiiim Huirnriiii ; i .unin i mrniiiKnuit iwn 



















THE LITTLE CLOUD THAT BROUGHT A GREAT RAIN 291 


to pour them over the sacrifice They obeyed, and he sent them again 
and again for more water, until they had emptied twelve barrels of 
water upon the altar, and it had soaked the wood and the meat and had 
run into the deep ditch, filling it to the brim. 

When everything was ready Elijah called upon the Lord, and fire 
fell from the sky and burned up the sacrifice and the wood, and even 
licked up all the water in the ditch. 

The people stood by, looking on in amazement. They had never 
seen such a wonderful sight before. Now they knew that Elijah’s God 
was the true God, so* they fell on their faces and cried, ‘ ‘ The Lord, he 
is the God! The Lord, he is the God!” 


STORY 8 

THE LITTLE CLOUD THAT BROUGHT A GREAT RAIN 

1 Kings 18:40-19:3 

Elijah knew that his work was only begun when God sent the fire 
which burned up the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. He confinanded the 
people to capture every one of the wicked priests of Baal and to take 
them down the mountain-side to the Brook Kishon. There he and the 
people killed them all. 

Ahab looked on in silence, not knowing what to do. He could not 
protect the wicked priests because all his people believed that Elijah’s 
God was the only true God. He wondered wfhat his wife, Jezebel, would 
do when she should find out that Elijah had made fun of her god, Baal, 
and that he had caused all of her priests to be put to death. While 
he was thinking about these things Elijah came near and said, “Go 
back upon the mountain, Ahab, and enjoy the feast, which the people 
have spread, for the famine is now ended and soon there will be a 
great rain.” 

Ahab could see no sign of a cloud in the evening sky, but he turned 
at Elijah’s words and went up to the place of feasting. And Elijah 
climbed to the top of the Mount and knelt down there to pray. No one 
was with him now except his servant, and Elijah bowed his face to the 
ground and prayed earnestly that God would send rain. Then he sent 
his servant to look toward the sea for some sign; but the servant re- 
turned and said that he saw nothing. Elijah prayed again, and again 
he sent his servant to look for a sign from God; but the servant re- 
turned as before and said, “There is nothing.” Seven times Elijah 


292 


BIBLEhSTORY BOOK 


prayed and seven! times he sent his servant to look for a sign from 
God. And the seventh time the servant came back and said, “A little 
cloud like a man’s hand is rising out of the sea.” 

Elijah took this for a sign from God that his prayer for rain had 
been heard and would be answered. He sent his servant to tell Ahab 
that he should make his chariot ready at once and hasten back to his 
home in Jezreel, before the rain should overtake him. 

Elijah wrapped his hairy mantle about his body and ran down the 
mountain-side to go to Jezreel, too. He was very happy because God 
had shown such wonders in Israel that day. He believed that now the 
people of Israel would be ready to worship the true God and forsake 
Jezebel’s wicked religion. As he ran the strong winds blew and the 
sky grew darker with the coming storm. Soon the rain began to fall 
in torrents, and the brooks overflowed their banks and the dry, thirsty 
ground drank in the fresh water. But Elijah did not mind the rain at 
all. He was very happy because God had heard and answered his 
prayers. 

Ahab knew that Elijah too* had come to Jezreel, for he had seen 
the prophet running before his chariot. Now he hurried to his palace 
to tell Jezebel all that had happened on the Mount. However dis- 
pleased the King had been with Elijah’s doings that day, he did not 
feel able to punish the man of God. But he believed that his wicked 
wife could plan some way to punish him, and in this he was not mis- 
taken. 

Jezebel flew into anj angry rage when she heard how Elijah had 
caused all her priests to be killed. She sent a messenger hurriedly to 
the prophet, saying, ‘ ‘ Tomorrow at this time if I have not made your 
life as the lives of my priests whom you have slain then let the gods 
kill me, too.” And Elijah, hearing these words, rose up quickly and 
ran with his servant out into the dark, stormy night to escape from 
the wrath of the wicked Queen. 


STORY 9 

WHAT AN ANGEL FOUND UNDER A JUNIPER-TREE IN 
THE WILDERNESS 

1 Kings 19:3-21 

One day God sent an angel on an errand into the wilderness south 
of Judah. Down there in the wilderness, all alone, was a man who was 


WHAT AN ANGEL FOUND IN THE WILDERNESS 293 


very unhappy, and God wanted the angel to comfort him. So the beau- 
tiful angel hurried on his errand, glad for a chance to help some one in 
trouble. And presently he saw a juniper- tree, and under the tree he 
saw a man lying on the ground fast asleep. This man was Elijah, the 
prophet, who had run away from the angry Queen of Israel. 

Now Elijah was very unhappy indeed. He had not expected that 
his great victory on Mount Carmel would come to such a sudden end. 
He had hoped that Jezebel would see how God was striking a terrible 
blow at her false, wicked religion; but Jezebel had not paid the slight- 
est attention to what God had done. She had tried to ve,nt all her 
wrath upon the man who had dared to set up another God in place of 
Baal. And Elijah was disappointed, 
and very unhappy. 

4 4 Where shall I go to hide?” 
thought Elijah, as he ran out of the 
gate of Jezreel that dark, stormy 
night. “I can not return again to 
the widow’s home in Zarephath, for 
some one will surely find me there. 

I can not hide in Judah, for the King 
of Judah is friendly with Ahab and 
he will deliver me into the hand of my 
enemy.” So Elijah and his servant 
had run southward. As they passed 
through Judah, Elijah had left his 
servant in Judah, but he himself had 
run farther south into the great wil- 
derness. And there, under the houghs 
of a juniper-tree, he had stopped to 
rest from his flight, and there he was, 
fast asleep, when the angel found him. 

The angel did not waken Elijah at once. First he kindled a fire 
and baked a cake upon the coals. Then he touched the sleeping man 
and roused him, saying, “Rise up and eat.” And Elijah opened his 
weary eyes and saw the food upon the coals near by and a bottle of 
water standing at his. side. He was hungry, very hungry, and he ate 
the food and drank the water. Then he lay down again and slept, for 
he was still tired and still very unhappy. 

The angel came the second time to comfort Elijah. And the sec- 
ond time he prepared food and awakened the slumbering man, urging 
him to rise and eat. And when Elijah rose up the angel said, 4 4 You 



THE ANGEL FINDING ELIJAH 


294 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


have a long journey before you, and unless you take this food you will 
not have strength enough to go so far. ” Then the angel wient away. 

Elijah ate of this wonderful food that the angel had prepared and 
he was not hungry again for forty days. He went on the strength of 
that food to the mountain where God first spoke to Mioses, in the burn- 
ing bush. And, finding a cave in the mountain, he crept into> it to 
hide. For Elijah was still very much discouraged. 

While Elijah was resting in the cave the Lord came near and said 
to him, 4 ‘What are you doing here?” And Elijah told the Lord what 
had happened in Israel, how the people had forsaken God’s law and 
thrown down God’s altars and even killed God’s prophets. “I am the 
only one left,” said the unhappy man, “and now they seek my life.” 
God told Elijah to come out of the cave and stand on the Mount before 
him. And Elijah rose up to obey God’s voice. 

Now God caused a great and strong wind to sweep across the 
mountain and break the rocks in pieces. But Elijah knew God was not 
in the great and strong wind. Then God sent an earthquake, which 
shook the, ground under Elijah’s feet. , But he knew God was not in 
the earthquake. After the earthquake ceased, God caused a terrible 
fire to break out, and the flames leaped up toward the sky and burned 
up many of the trees on the mountain-side. But Elijah knew God was 
not in the fire. After the fire passed by and everything grew quiet on 
the mountain-side, Elijah heard a still, small voice. And he knew 
that was God’s voice, sot he wrapped his hairy mantle about his face 
and stood in the door of the cave to listen. 

God ’s voice asked the question again : ‘ ‘ What are you doing here, 
Elijah?” And the prophet answered as he had answered the first 
time, telling God about the sad conditions in Israel, and that he was the 
only one left who served God in all the land. But God said, “You are 
mistaken, for there are seven thousand people in Israel who have never 
worshiped Baal.” Ahd God sent Elijah back again to do the work of 
a prophet in the land of Israel, and to anoint a young man named 
Elisha to become the next great prophet after he should die. 

Elijah was not afraid to go back again to Israel, because he knew 
God was sending him there to wiork for him. And now he knew there 
were others living in Israel who loved and served the true God. He 
found the young man, Elisha, plowing with oxen in his father’s field, 
and he anointed him to become the next great prophet, as God had 
commanded. Then Elisha broke his plow in pieces and killed the 
oxen, sacrificing them to God, and left his field to become the servant 
of this wonderful man who heard and obeyed God ’s voice. 


AHAB AND THE BEGGAR KING 


295 


STORY 10 

AHAB AND THE BEGGAR KING 

1 Kings 20 

King Ahab had an enemy named Ben-hadad, who ruled over Syria,, 
the country just north of Israel. Now this ruler was a very bitter 
enemy indeed. He hated the people of Israel and wished to take 
them for his slaves. 

Ben-hadad and thirty-two of his friends, who also were kings, 
decided to make war against Ahab. They brought their armies together 
and came down into the land of Israel, to make their camp near Ahab ’s 
capital city, Samaria. While they were making their plans to capture 
the city and take Ahab away for a prisoner, God sent a prophet to 
tell Ahab that he Would give him the victory over his enemies in the 
battle. 

Ahab had only a very small army compared withl the great host 
that had come from Syria; but he believed God would help him, and 
his few mien went out bravely to make an attack upon Ben-hadad and 
his men. They found him and the kings drinking wine, and they 
soon put the whole army, with its drunken leaders, to flight. They 
killed many of the Syrians, and only a few of the entire host of the 
armies of the foreign kings ever reached their homes alive. 

After this victory, God sent the prophet again to speak to Ahab, 
and to tell him that the Syrians would come back the next year to 
renew the fight. So Ahab prepared his army for another attack. And 
at the end of the year the Syrian army came again, in numbers as great 
as before. This time they did not pitch their tents near the city of 
Samaria, but on the plains in the north country of Israel. They be- 
lieved that the cause of their defeat in the other battle was due to the 
fact that the God of Israel was' a God of the hills, and Samaria was 
built upon a hill. Now they planned to fight in the valley, and they 
believed their gods would give them the victory. 

Ahab gathered his soldiers in battle-line and started out to mleet 
his enemy again. Now his soldiers looked like only a handful com- 
pared with the Syrian host. But Ahab was not afraid of the great 
host; for God’s prophet had told him that because the Syrians believed 
Israel’s God was only a god of the hills, now 1 they should be defeated 
again to prove to them that Israel’s God wa^ able to help his people 
fight on the plains as well as on the hills. 

When the battle began the men of Israel fought bravely and killed 


296 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


many of the Syrians. The other Syrians with their King, Ben-hadad, 
ran into a city near by, called Aphek. They thought they could pro- 
tect themselves from the men of Israel when once they were inside 
the city walls. But they did not know that it was God whom they were 
fighting against instead of only a few men. And no one can run away 
from God. When they came into the city the wall fell down upon 
them and killed many thousands. 

Ben-hadad was not hurt, for he had hidden in a place where the 
crumbling walls could not reach him. But he was afraid to come out 
of his hiding-place lest the King of Israel find him and punish him 
severely— just as severely as he had intended to punish the King of 
Israel. After a while some of his servants came to him and urged 
him to come out of his hiding-place and meet Ahab. They told him 
to act humbly, and perhaps Ahab would treat him kindly. 

Then some of those servants dressed themselves in sackcloth and 
tied ropes around their heads and came bowing down before Ahab 
just as if they were most willing to become his servants. They told 
him that their King, Ben-hadad, had sent them to ask that his own life 
might be spared. 

Ahab seemed glad to hear that Ben-hadad was yet alive, and he 
spoke kindly to the men. He told them to bring their King from his 
hiding-place, and they hurried back to tell Ben-hadad about his words. 
Then they brought their King before Ahab, and Ben-hadad acted very 
humbly indeed. He did not seem at all like the proud King who had 
tried so hard to overthrow the kingdom of Israel. Ahab felt sorry 
for him and took him up into his own chariot to talk with him. Then 
he allowed Ben-hadad to return again to Syria. 

But God was not pleased with Ahab for permitting this wicked 
King to escape with no punishment. He sent a prophet to speak with 
Ahab to tell him that he had done wrong. The prophet dressed himself 
like one who had been in the battle, and covered his face with ashes. 
Then he stood by the roadside and waited for Ahabi to pass by with 
his chariot. 

When the King's chariot came along the prophet cried out, and 
Ahab stopped to see what the poor man wanted. 4 ‘During the battle 
a man brought a prisoner to me and told mie( to watch him closely," 
began the prophet. “He said that if the prisoner should escape' I 
should have to give my own life for his. But while I was very busy 
attending to other duties the man got away, and I can not find him. 
Now what shall I do?" he asked thej King. 

“You must pay for his life with your own," answered Ahab. Then 


HOW A KING’S! POUT COST A MAN’S LIFE 


297 


the prophet took the ashes off his face and Ahab saw who he was. And 
the prophet said, 4 ‘Because you allowed Ben-hadad to escape without 
punishment when God gave him into your hand, now God will punish 
you instead, and you must pay your life for his life.” Ahab listened 
sadly to these words, for he knew they had come from God. He saw 
when too late that he had made a great mistake by letting his enemy 
have freedom, and he rode back to his palace in Samaria with a heavy 
heart. 


STORY 11 

HOW A KING’S POUT COST A MAN’S LIFE 

1 Kings 21 

Listen, children, girls and boys! 

Pouting never pays! 

You may think it brings you joys 
By its easy ways, 

But it robs you, like a thief, 

And at last it brings you grief. 

Who would have believed that a grown-up man would pout? But 
Ahab, the king of Israel, did it; and here we have the story: 

Ahab had built a summer house in the little city of Jezreel, which 
was north of Samaria, his capital city. And around this summer house 
he had made wide, grassy lawns and gardens of beautiful flowers and 
trees. He had taken much time to make this summer house and its 
surroundings very beautiful, and whenever he came to Jezreel he 
tried to think of some way to add to its attractiveness. 

One day while the King was walking through his gardens and 
admiring their beauty, he noticed that just across the fence wias a fine 
vineyard. Now the vineyard belonged to a man named Naboth, and 
Ahab thought, “I should like very much to have that vineyard for 
my own! I will speak to Naboth, and ask him to exchange it for an- 
other that. I will give him in its place. Or I will pay for it with money. ’ ’ 

Ahab hurried around to the other side of the fence to speak to 
Naboth. He said, “You have a good vineyard here, just outside my 
palace grounds. I should like to have it to make of it a garden. What 
shall 1 pay you for the place?” 

But Naboth did not care to sell his vineyard. He said, “My father 
lived here, and my grandfather, and even my great-grandfather. I 
can not let you have this ground, for it is my inheritance.” And he 


298 BIBLE-STORY BOOK 

would not take another vineyard in exchange for that one, neither 
would he take money from the King, for he wished to keep the vine- 
yard for himself. 

When Ahab saw that Naboth could not be persuaded to part with 
the vineyard he turned and walked away. But he kept thinking, over 
and over, ‘‘I want that vineyard of Naboth’s!” And the more he 

thought about wanting the vine- 
yard the unhappier he became be- 
cause Naboth would not part with 
it. Finally Arab went back to his 
home in Samaria, still very much 
disturbed in his mind because he 
could not get what he wanted. 

When Ahab reached his home 
he went straight to bed. There 
he lay all day with his face to the 
wall, pouting ! He would not eat, 
and he did not care to talk to any 
one. At last Jezebel came into 
his room and asked, ‘ ‘ What is the 
matter, Ahab, that you are so sad 
you will not eat*?” And Ahab 
told her all about his experience 
at Jezreel with the man who 
would not part with his vineyard. 

Ahab knew that his wicked 
wife, Jezebel, would find a way to 
get possession of that vineyard. 
naboth refusing to sELB his vine- And he was not at all surprized to 
YARD hear her say, “ Get up from your 

bed at once and eat some food. Stop thinking about your troubles, for 
I will get that vineyard for you.” 

Jezebel’s plan to secure the vineyard was very cruel. She wrote 
letters to the rulers of Jezreel and sealed them with her husband’s 
seal. In the letters she commanded the rulers to take Naboth and 
have him stoned to death on a false accusation. She told the rulers 
to have two very worthless men testify that they had heard Naboth 
speak wickedly of God and of King Ahab. For such an act as this the 
law commanded that a man should be put to death, and she knew the 
people who believed the words of the two men would be willing to 
throw stones at poor Naboth. 



HOW A KING ’S' POUT COST A MAN’S LIFE 


299 


Not long afterwards a messenger cam® to Jezebel, saying, “Na- 
both is stoned, and is now dead.” And Jezebel called Ahab and told 
him to go at once to Jezreel and take possession of the vineyard that 
he wanted, for the owner was no longer alive to refuse him. And Ahab 
climbed into his chariot and rode rapidly to Jezreel, thinking as he 
went, “Now I can have that vineyard, after all!” 

But Ahab did not get much happiness out of that vineyard. While 
he was walking about between its long rows of grapevines, planning 
how he would change the place into a beautiful garden, suddenly he 
came face to face with the prophet Elijah. And he stopped short, and 
said, “Have you found me, 

0 my enemy?” 

Elijah answered, “I 
have found you. And now 
God has sent me to ask if 
you have killed and also 
taken possession. 0 wicked 
man! the wild dogs licked 
the blood of poor Naboth, 
whom you have killed. And 
in the very same spot the 
wild dogs will some day lick 
your blood because you 
have done this great evil in 
the sight of the Lord.” 

Ahab trembled as he listened to the prophet’s words. And he 
heard Elijah say that not one of his children should go unpunished. 
And Jezebel, the wicked Queen, should die an awful death, more ter- 
rible than the others, for she had caused Ahab to do so much evil in 
the land of Israel. 

Naboth’s vineyard was no longer a delight to Ahab. He tore his 
kingly robes as a sign of his grief, and dressed himself in sackcloth. 
Then he refused to eat food again, but this time he was not pouting, 
for he was trying to show God that he was sorry for his Wrong-doing. 
And when God saw that Ahab was repenting, he told Elijah that he 
would not allow Ahab’s wife and children to be destroyed until after 
Ahab himself should die. 



ELIJAH MEETING WICKED AHAB 



300 BIBLEl-STORY BOOK 

STORY 12 

WHEN FIRE FELL FROM THE SKY AND BURNED UP 
SOME WICKED MEN 

2 Kings 1 

After King Ahab died, one of his sons became the King of Israel 
in his place. And this new 1 King was wicked, like his father had been 
before him. He did not try to please God, but worshiped Baal, the 


RUINS OF THE BEAUTIFUL PALACE AT SAMARIA 

idol that his mother had brought into the land of Israel. And he hated 
the people who tried to please God. 

But Ahaziah, this new King, did not rule the people very long. 
One day after he had been King only a short time, he fell down through 
a lattice in his beautiful palace at Samaria, And the fall hurt him so 
badly that it made him sick. For days and days he lay upon his bed 
suffering misery. He wondered whether he should ever be well again. 
Finally he called some of his men and told them to go down to the land 
of the Philistines and ask the god of those people whether he should 
be healed of the disease. 

Ahaziah did not want to ask a prophet of the true God about his 


WHEN FIRE BURNED UP SOME WICKED MEN 


301 


sickness. But the true God knew all about Ahaziah, and why he was 
sending to the god of the Philistines. And the Lord sent an angel to 
speak to Elijah, the faithful prophet, and tell him what Ahaziah had 
done. The angel told Elijah to go out and meet the messengers of the 
King who were going to the land of the Philistines, and to tell them 
that God had said Ahaziah would never be cured of his disease. 

As the messengers were hurrying on their errand they were met 
by a stranger, who said, ‘ ‘ Is there no God in Israel, that you must go 
down to the land of the Philistines to inquire of that idol whether your 
master will be made w|ell of his sickness ? Go back and tell him that the 
Lord God has said he will never be able to rise up from his bed again.” 

Elijah turned and went away as suddenly as he had come, and the 
messengers decided to go back at once and tell the King what Elijah 
had told them. So they hurried back to the palace, and when they 
entered the sick-room Ahaziah said, “Why have you come back so 
soon?” 

“A strange-looking man met us,” they answered, “and he asked 
if there is no God in Israel that you must be sending to the Philistines 
to inquire about your sickness. He said that because you are doing 
this you will never be cured of your disease, but will die from it.” 

The King knew that it must have been Elijah, the prophet, who 
had spoken to his messengers. And he was greatly displeased with 
Elijah. He wished to capture him and possibly put him into a prison- 
house. So he sent a company of soldiers to take Elijah and bring him 
to Samaria. 

When the soldiers and their captain found Elijah he was sitting 
on top of a hill. The captain called to hint and commanded him to come 
down. But Elijah knew that the soldiers were wicked men, and he 
knew their King was angry with him and was planning to punish him 
because he had obeyed God. So Elijah did not come down from the 
hill. He said, “If I am a man of God, as you have said, then let fire 
come' down from heaven and destroy you all.” And fire fell from the 
sky and burned up the captain and his men. 

When this company of soldiers and their captain did not return 
with Elijah, the King sent another company to capture him. And this 
second company was destroyed just as the first had been. Then the 
King was more angry than ever. He sent the third company, and 
commanded their t captain to bring Elijah back to Samaria. 

The captain of the third company knew what had happened to the 
other captains and to their soldiers, and he was afraid of Elijah and 
of his God. He did not r stand at the foot of the hill and command the 


302 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


prophet to come down, as the other captains had done. He climbed to 
the top of the hill and fell down on his knees before Elijah, and begged 
the prophet to spare his. life and the lives of his soldiers. And the 
angel of God who often spoke to Elijah now told him not to be afraid 
to go down with the captain to Samaria, to see the King. So Elijah 
rose up and wrapped his mantle around his shoulders and followed 
the captain back to S ! amaria, to see the King. 

.When Elijah came to the palace he walked boldly into the sick- 
room to speak to the King. He was no more afraid of meeting Aliaziah 
now than he had been of meeting the wicked Ahab in Naboth’s vine- 
yard. And he told Ahaziah the same words that he had told to the 
messengers. 

God did not let the King harm Elijah; but God caused Elijah’s 
words to come true. And not long afterwards Ahaziah died, and Jeho- 
ram, his brother, ruled Israel in his place. 


STORY 13 

THE STORY OF A GREAT WHIRLWIND 

2 Kings 2 : 1-18 

Elijah, the prophet, was now an oldj man. He had been a won- 
derful man. He had worked hard to destroy the worship of Baal out 
of the land of Israel, and he had tried to turn the people back to serve 
the true God. But now he was old, and his wlork on this earth was 
ended. He was ready to go to heaven. 

God had chosen another brave man to do the same kind of work 
as Elijah had begun. This man was Elisha, the friend of Elijah, who 
often went with him on his journeys. And Elisha knew the time had 
come when God was going to take away the old prophet. Elisha loved 
Elijah very much, and he felt unwilling to let the old prophet leave him. 

But the time had come when God wished to take Elijah up to 
heaven. And Elijah seemed eager to go. He visited the schools 
where the young prophets were studying about God, and perhaps he 
bade them all good-by. Then he urged Elisha to stay with them. But 
Elisha answered, “I will not leave you.” So they two went on to- 
gether, and the young prophets followed far behind; for they knew 
that Elijah, their faithful old teacher, was going to heaven that day. 
And they wished they might see him go; 

When the two men, Elijah and his friend, came to the River 


THE STORY OF A GREAT WHIRLWIND 


303 


Jordan, the old prophet took off his mantle, wrapped it together, and 
struck the waters of the Jordan with it. The waters parted at once, and 
a dry path appeared through their midst. Then the two walked across 
to the other side. 

The young prophets soon lost sight of what was taking place on 
the other side of the river. They were too far away to hear Elijah ask 



ELIJAH GOING TO HEAVEN IN THE CHARIOT OF -FIRE 

Elisha what he should do for him before he should be taken away. And 
they were too far away to hear Elisha ask that a double portion of the old 
prophet’s spirit might rest upon him. Elijah knew that only God 
could bestow such a gift upon Elisha. So he answered his friend, “If 
you see me when I am taken away, then you shall know that God will 
give you a double portion of my spirit.” 

On and on the two men went, when suddenly a chariot of fire and 
horses of fire pushed between them and separated them. Then a great 
whirlwind came, and Elisha saw his dear old friend leave this world 
and start upward toward heaven in the whirlwind. Elisha knew that 


304 


BilBLE-STORY BOOK 


Elijah was leaving him forever. He looked up and cried, “My father! 
my father!” Then the great whirlwind and the chariot and horses of 
fire and the old prophet Elijah disappeared in the clouds, and Elisha 
could not see them any more. 

But lying on the ground at Elisha’s feet was the old mantle that 
Elijah used to wear. And Elisha picked it up and started hack to the 
land of Israel. 

The young prophets stood watching by the side of the River long 
after they had lost sight of the two men. And when Elisha came back 
alone, they saw him. They saw him wrap Elijah’s mantle together, 
just as the old prophet himself had done, and they saw him strike the 
waters with it. Then they saw the waters part, just as they had parted 
before when Elijah struck them. And the young prophets said, “The 
spirit of Elijah is resting upon Elisha.” So they hurried out to meet 
him and bowed down at his feet, just as they had bowed down before 
the old prophet who had gone up to heaven in the whirlwind. 

Elisha was now master, or teacher, of the young prophets. And 
the young men wished to send some of their number across the J ordan 
to look for the body of Elijah. They thought that perhaps the old 
prophet’s body might be left on top of one of the mountains in that land. 
Elisha said, “Do not send, for you can not find Elijah’s body.” But 
when the young prophets kept urging him to let them send of their 
men, finally he said, “Let them go.” 

For three days the servants searched' everywhere for the body of 
Elijah. But they could find no trace of him. Then they came back, 
and Elisha said, “Did I not tell you that you should not send?” And 
Elisha stayed for a while with the young men at the school of the 
prophets in Jericho. 


STORY 14 

WHY TWO HUNGRY BEARS KILLED SOME CHILDREN 
FROM BETHEL 

2 Kings 2 : 19-25 

In the land of Israel was a city called Bethel, and in this city Jero- 
boam, the first king of Israel, had set up a golden calf for his people to 
worship instead of the true God. And for long years afterwards the 
people of Bethel worshiped the gulden calf and other idols. They did 
not love God and they did not teach their children to love him. 


WHY TWO BEARS KILLED SOME CHILDREN 305 

But there were other people living near Bethel who loved God. 
And they wished to see the true religion again planted in their country. 
So they started a school in the city of Bethel, which they called a 
“school of the prophets,” like the school down at Jericho. And Elijah 
used to visit that school. Elisha had been with him the last day when 
he visited the young men at that place. 

Now after Elijah had gone up to heaven in a great whirlwind, 
Elisha took up the work of the old prophet and went from one place to 
another, visiting the schools of the prophets and teaching the people of 
Israel to worship the Lord only. He also carried messages from the 
Lord to the kings of the land, just as Elijah had done before him. And 
he had much work to do. 

Elisha stayed in Jericho for a while after Elijah was taken from 
him. And one day the men of that city came to him and said, “You see 
that our city is built in a pleasant place, but the water that we must 
drink is not good. It causes much sickness and death.” Elisha told 
them to bring him a new bottle with some salt in it. And when they 
did so he took the salt from the new bottle and threw it into the springs 
where the people went to draw their water. Then he said, ‘ ‘ From this 
time forth there shall be no more deaths caused by these waters, for 
God has healed them.” And after that day the waters became pure 
and sweet. 

Then Elisha started on his journey north and west tg visit the 
school of the prophets at Bethel. As he came near to the city he met a 
host of children. Possibly they were going out to the country to have 
a picnic. They had seen Elisha before, and they remembered that he 
was the same man who used to come to their city with Elijah to visit 
the school of the prophets. They had heard that Elijah had gone to 
heaven in a whirlwind, but they only laughed. They did not believe 
that people would go to heaven in that way. Their parents were idol- 
worshipers, who were unfriendly toward the prophets of the true God. 
And no doubt these children had heard their parents speak unkindly 
about Elijah and Elisha. 

Now the children began to make fun of Elisha. They danced about 
him and mocked him and cried, “Go up, bald head! go up!” This was 
very wrong, for no one should make such fun of persons. And they 
were telling him to go up as Elijah had done, for they did not like to 
have him' visit their city. 

Elisha knew these children would never grow up into good men 
and women. He knew they would worship idols and bring much sor- 
row to Israel if they should live. So he prayed to God that he would 


306 


BIBBE-STORY BOOK 


punish them for their wrong-doing. And as he went on his way into 
the city two hungry bears came out of the woods and caught the wicked 
children and killed forty-two of them. This was a terrible punishment, 



THE TWO BEARS AND THE WICKED CHILDREN 

but it was God’s way to teach those children who ran away to safety 
that it is very wrong indeed to make such fun of God’s prophets, or 
of any one. 

After Elisha’s visit at Bethel he went to Mount Carmel, the place 
where God had so wonderfully answered Elijah’s prayers, and then 
He went back to Samaria, the capital city of Israel. 


STORY 15 

ELISHA’S MIRACLE THAT SAVED TWO BOYS 
FROM BECOMING SLAVES 

2 Kings 4 : 1-7 

In the land of Israel there were both rich people and poor people, 
just as there are in every land today. And Elisha, the prophet, visited 
the poor as well as the rich. He listened to their troubles and comforted 



MIRACLE THAT SAVED TWO BOYS FROM SLAVERY 307 

them, as a true friend will do. And the poor people whom he visited 
loved him. They were glad, to see him coming toward their humble 
homes, and always made him feel that he was a welcomed guest. 

In one of the humble homes where Elisha sometimes visited, two 
bright-eyed little boys lived. They were brothers, and their father was 
one of the young prophets who loved and served the true God. These 
two little boys were happy even though their parents were poor. Every 
day they could run and play, and do chores about the house for their 
mother. They did not know that a great sorrow was coming into their 
home, which would rob them of their dear father. But one day the 
sorrow came. Their father grew sick and died, leaving them alone 
with their poor, widowed mother. 

Then another sorrow came. One day a stern, rich man stopped 
at the door of that humble home and asked for the money that the 
father had borrowed before he took sick and died. Because the poor 
widow had no money to give him, the rich man said, ‘ ‘ Then I will take 
your two boys to be my slaves. ’ ’ But he did not take the boys at once. 
He told the widow that he would give her a little time to collect enough 
money to pay the debt. 

After the rich man had gone away the mother wondered what she 
should do. She had no money, and she did not know where she could 
earn enough to pay the debt. In her trouble she remembered the 
prophet Elisha, so she hurried to him and told her pitiful story. 

Elisha listened, and he felt sorry for the poor woman. He wished 
to help her, so he asked, “What do you have in your house V 9 And the 
woman answered, “I have nothing except a pot of oil.” The prophet 
knew that would be enough to help if she would obey him, so he told 
her to go home and borrow empty jars and bowls and pots from her 
neighbors. He urged her to borrow very many. 4 4 Take all those empty 
vessels to your home,” hei said, “and after you have shut the door, 
pour the oil from your pot into the empty vessels. When one vessel 
is full, set it aside and fill another. , ’ 

The widow hurried home and borrowed empty vessels from all 
her neighbors. When she had brought a great many into'her humble home 
she called the boys into the room and shut the door, just as Elisha had 
told her to do. Perhaps her sons wondered, “What is mother going 
to do now ! 9 ’ Then she told them about Elisha ’s words, and they were 
eager to help her fill the empty jars and bowls. 

Never before had the hoys seen so much oil as their mother poured 
out of her pot into the neighbors’ vessels. They knew God was caus- 
ing the oil to increase, so there would be enough to fill every empty 


308 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


jar. They carried the empty vessels to their mother, and helped to 
set them aside after they were filled with oil. How hard they worked ! 
Finally their mother said, “ Bring me another jar”; but there was no 
other jar to bring, for all were filled with oil. 

This wonderful oil was just like the oil that the poor widow had 
poured out of her own vessel. It did not disappear, like a dream, but 
it stayed in the pots and jars and bowls. And the widow hurried away 
again to speak with Elisha. She wanted to tell him what had happened 
to her pot of oil. And she wanted to ask him what she should do with 
all the oil that now stood in her humble home. 

Elisha knew the widows would come again, and he was waiting to 
see her. He told her to go home and sell all the oil in her neighbors’ 
vessels, and take the money to pay off the debt that her husband owed 
the rich man. And he said there would be money left for her and for 
her sons. 

We are sure it was a very thankful woman who hugged her boys 
to her breast after the debt was paid. She knew the God of Israel took 
notice of poor people and their needs. And she was glad to teach her 
boys to love and serve such a God, who, through the miracle of his 
prophet, Elisha, had spared them from becoming slaves. 


STORY 16 

THE STORY ABOUT A LITTLE BOY WHO DIED 
AND BECAME ALIVE AGAIN 

2 Kings 4 : 8-37 

Elisha went from one place to another, teaching the people to love 
and serve the true God. He visited in the homes of the rich as well as 
in the homes of the poor. And one day he came to the little city! of 
Shunem, where a rich woman and her husband lived, and their ser- 
vants. The woman and her husband had no children. This woman in- 
vited Elisha and his servant into her home, and she cared for them as 
long as they stayed in Shunem. She believed Elisha was a prophet 
of the true God, and she wished to show! her respect to such a great 
man by entertaining him and his servant. 

Elisha often passed through Shunem on his journeys, and he 
stopped each time to rest at this kind woman’s home. One day the 
woman said to her husband, “Let us build a room for this prophet, 


A BOY WHO DIED AND BECAME ALIVE AGAIN 309 


and place in it a table, a candlestick, a bed, and a chair, that he may 
rest heye with ns whenever he comes to our city.” So they built a 
special room for Elisha and his servant. 

Not long afterwards Ellisha passed that way again, and he was 
pleased to see the nice room that his kind friends had built for him. 
He wished to repay them for their kindness, so he sent his servant to 
speak to the woman to ask her what they might do for her. But she 
told the servant that she needed nothing at all, for she was happy to 
live among her own people and she did not care for a special favor from 
any one, not even the king. 

Elisha’s servant noticed, however, that there were no little chil- 
dren playing about in that home, so he came back and told his master. 
And Elisha told the woman that because she had been so- kind to him 
and to his servant, God would give her a little son. The woman 
thought this promise seemed too good to be true. But God had heard 
Elisha’s words, and God gave her and her husband a baby boy. 

A few years passed by and the child grew old enough to follow 
hi^s father about. One day he went with his father out to the harvest- 
field, where the servants were cutting the ripe grain. As he ran here 
and there, playing in the warm sunshine, suddenly he became very 
sick. He called his father and cried, 4 4 My head ! my head ! ’ ’ And his 
father told a servant to carry the child home. 

When the servant came, bringing the sick little boy, the mother 
was alarmed. She took the child in her arms and held him on her lap 
until noon. Then he died. Now what should she do? she wondered. 
First she carried her dead child to Elisha’s room and laid him on the 
prophet’s bed. Then she called for a servant and prepared to go at 
once to find Elisha to bring him back to Shunem. 

It was a long ride to Mount Carmel, where Elisha and his servant 
were staying that day. But the woman did not think about the dis- 
tance, for she thought only about the great sorrow that had come to 
her, and she believed the prophet could help her in her time of trouble. 
Perhaps as she hurried on the way she prayed that God would help her 
find the prophet. 

Elisha saw the woman coming far down the road, and he sent his 
servant to meet her. He told the servant to ask if it Was well with her, 
and with her husband, and with her child. So the servant ran forward 
and asked her the questions Elisha had bidden him. And the womqn. 
answered, 4 4 .It is well. ’ ’ But she hurried on till she came to the place 
where Elisha was, and then she fell down at his feet and seemed to be 
in great distress. 


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Elisha was troubled; for God had not shown him what had hap- 
pened to grieve the good woman who had been so kind to him. Finally 
the woman cried, “Did I ask you for a child ?” Then the prophet knew 
that something had gone wrong with the little boy. So he told his ser- 
vant to take his staff and hurry on to Shunem and place the staff across 
the face of the child. But the woman was not satisfied. She said, “I 

will not. go back with only the 
servant. You, Elisha, must 
come too.” 

Elisha’s servant reached 
Shunem first, and found the 
body of the dead child lying on 
his master’s bed. He placed 
his master’s staff across the 
child’s face, but no signs of life 
appeared. Then he went out 
of the room and started back 
to meet Elisha and the woman. 
When he came to them he said, 
“I have obeyed your words, 
but the child is not wakened.” 

Soon Elisha came and saw 
that the little boy was dead. 
He understood the grief of the mother, and he felt sorry for her. He 
shut the door of his room and began to pray earnestly that God would 
cause life to come into the child again. After praying, he went up to 
the child and lay with his face upon the child’s face and his hands upon 
the child’s hands. And as he lay there the child’s body grew warm. 
He rose up and walked about in the room, then went back again and lay 
upon the child as before. And then the child sneezed seven times, and 
opened his eyes. 

Elisha called his servant at once, and told him to bring the woman. 
And when she came to his room he said, “Take up your son.” She 
looked and saw that her child Was alive again, but she bowed thank- 
fully at Elisha’s feet before she took the boy away. 



ELISHA’S KINDNESS TO THE POOR 


311 


STORY 17 

ELISHA’S KINDNESS TO THE POOR 

2 Kings 4: 38-44 j 6:1-7 

There came a time when food was scarce in the land of Israel and 
the poor people had little to eat. During this time Elisha came to visit 
the young prophets who lived at Bethel. And while he was there one 
of the young men went out to the field to gather some vegetables and 
green things to cook "for dinner. By mistake he picked some poisonous 
gourds, which grew on a vine in the field, and he threw the gourds into 
the cooking-vessel with the other food. 

When the men sat down to eat they discovered that their food was 
poisoned. Some had already eaten, and they cried to Elisha and said, 
‘ i 0 man of God, there is death in the pot ! ’ ’ But Elisha did not seem 
to be alarmed. He called for some meal and threw it into the cooking- 
vessel that held the poisoned food. Then he commanded them to dish 
up the pottage and feed it to the hungry people. And the people ate, 
and they did not sutler any harm from the poisoned gourds. 

While Elisha was staying with the poor people at this place, one 
day a man brought him a present of twenty loaves of barley bread and 
some ears of new corn .in the husks. Elisha knew that the young 
prophets would enjoy eating this food, so he commanded a servant to 
prepare the loaves and the corn to serve to the prophets for their din- 
ner. The servant was amazed. He knew there were one hundred 
hungry men to be fed, and he knew the barley loaves were very small. 
He knew the gift of food had been intended for only one man, and now 
Elisha was asking that it be given to one hundred men. 

Elisha saw how astonished the servant was to hear his request. 
But he said again, ‘ 4 Give this food to the hungry people, that they may 
eat.” Then he told the servant that God Would bless the food, and that 
it would increase until there would be enough for all, and some left 
over. And the servant obeyed Elisha’s command, and set the food be- 
fore the hungry men. He saw that every man had as much as he wished 
to eat, and afterwards he picked up the scraps that they had left. And 
he kneW that God, at Elisha’s word, had increased the food in a won- 
derful way. 

At another time a company of the young prophets went down to 
the Jordan River to build new homes for themselves. And Elisha was 
with them again. They cut down the trees along the River’s bank to 
use in building their new homes. While they were busy at work an 


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RIBLEl-STORY BOOK 


ax-head flew off from one man’s ax and dropped into the River. At 
this place the River was deep or muddy, and the poor man could not 
see where the ax-head had fallen. He did not know what to do, for he 
had borrowed the ax and he was too poor to buy a new one, for the 
owner. So he came to Elisha and told what had happened. 

Elisha listened to the poor man’s story, and then said, “Show me 
the place where the ax-head sank into the water.” The man led him 
to the spot where the accident had happened, and Elisha cut down a 
stick and threw it into the water at the same place. Then as the men 
watched they saw the ax-head rise from the bottom of the river and 
float like a piece of wood. And Elisha told the man to reach out and 
pick it out of the water, before it should float down the stream. 

This was another miracle that Elisha performed, for he made iron 
to swim. And the young mien who saw the miracle wondered at the 
mighty power of God which Was shown by this faithful prophet. 


STORY 18 

HOW A LITTLE SLAVE-GIRL HELPED A HEATHEN MAN TO 
FIND THE TRUE GOD 

2 Kings 5:1-27 

The people who lived in the country just north of Israel were 
called Syrians. They were heathen people and had never been taught 
about the true God. They worshiped a god called Rimmon, and built 
temples for this god in their cities. 

While Elisha was the prophet in Israel, the Syrians sometimes 
came down in small companies to steal from the Israelites. They would 
steal anything valuable that they could find and carry the stolen goods 
back to their own land to sell. They even stole children, and sold them 
for slaves to the rich people of Syria. 

One time a robber hand of Syrians came into the land of Israel 
and stole a little girl away from her mother’s home. They stole other 
things, too, and then went back to sell them to their own people. They 
sold the little girl to the rich captain of the Syrian army, a man named 
Naaman, and Naaman brought the child to his wife to become her 
servant. 

Naaman ’s wife wlas kind to her little servant, and after a while 
the child began to like her new home. Of course she missed her dear 




ELISHA’S SERVANT SPEAKING TO NAAMAN 


314 




HOW A LITTLE GILL HELPED A MAN TO FIND GOD 315 


Perhaps they thought he was sending for the prophet to come to the 
palace and cure Naaman there. 

But the King of Israel was not preparing to do some great deed. 
He was greatly troubled when he read the letter that Naaman had 
brought. He said, “Does the King of Syria think I am God, that I 
can kill and make alive ? Why has he sent this leprous man to me that 
I should make him well ? Surely he is only trying to find an excuse to 
make war against my country. ’ ’ Then he tore his clothes to show that 
he was in distress, for he did not know what to do. If he had been a 
good King, one who served the true God of Israel, then he might have 
thought at once of the good prophet, Elisha; but the King of Israel 
was worshiping idols and he did not love and serve God. He did not 
honor God’s prophet as he should have done. 

And still Naaman and his servants wtere waiting for an answer 
from the King. They wondered why he was so slow. They did not 
know how greatly their letter had troubled him. And while they 
waited, Elisha sent to the King and asked, “Why have you torn your 
clothes? Send the leprous man to me, that he may know there is a 
prophet in Israel. ’ ’ 

The King of Israel was glad for this way out of his trouble, and he 
hurriedly sent Naaman and his servants to Elisha’s house. And Elisha 
sent his servant down to speak to Naaman, toi tell him that if he wished 
to be cured of his disease he should go dow;n to the muddy waters of the 
Jordan River and dip himself seven times. 

Naaman was a proud man, and he was much offended when Elisha 
would not come out to speak with him. He turned angrily away from 
Elisha’s gate and started back toward Syria. “Why should I go down 
to that muddy river and bathe?” he stormed. “If bathing can make 
mie well of this disease, then I will bathe in the clear waters of our 
rivers at home.’* 

But Naaman ’s servants knew that bathing alone would never cure 
their master of the leprosy. They knew he should obey the prophet’s 
words if he wished to be cured. And they felt sad to see him turn away 
in anger from Elisha’s gate. One of them came to Naaman and said, 

‘ ‘ If this prophet of Israel had come out and told you to do some great 
thing, would you not have done it? Then why not do this simple act 
and be cured of your disease?” 

Although Naaman was proud, yet he was sensible enough to listen 
to his servant. And he saw at once that he was acting foolishly by 
refusing to do as Elisha had commanded. So he told his driver to turn 
toward Jordan, and he w!ent down into the river and dipped his body 


316 


BIBLE-STOIRY BOOK 


under the water seven times. And his leprosy disappeared so com- 
pletely that not one sign of it remained. 

Now Naaman was very happy. He was glad because he had obeyed 
Elisha’s words, and he hurried back to Elisha’s house. This time the 
prophet came out and spoke to him. And Naaman said: i ‘Now I know 

there is no God in all the earth 
but in Israel. Let me give you 
a present to show how thankful 
I am because you have cured 
me of this disease. ’ ’ But Elisha 
would take no present. He 
wanted to teach this stranger 
from a heathen land that God’s 
gifts can not be bought with 
money. Then Naaman asked 
if he might take some earth 
from the land of Israel and 
carry it back to Syria. With 
this he wanted to build an altar 
where he could worship the true 
God in his own country. He 
thought God would not be pleased with an altar that had been built 
of soil from a heathen country. And he promised that hereafter he 
would no longer worship the idols, which can neither see nor hear nor 
help in times of need. Then he turned and started toward his homeland. 

Now Elisha’s servant had seen the gifts that Naaman wished to 
give to his master, and he was unhappy because Elisha had refused to 
take them. He thought of all the things which that money could buy, 
and the longer he thought about these things the more he wanted to 
get the money. After Naaman started away, and Elisha went back into 
his house again, this servant decided to try to get some of the money. 
So he ran quickly down the road to overtake Naaman, and when Naaman 
saw him following he stopped his chariot and turned to meet the servant. 

Gehazi, for this was the servant’s name, said, “ After you left 
my master ’s house two young men came who are in need, and my mas- 
ter has sent to ask you to give them some silver money and some new 
clothes.” Naaman believed the story, and was glad to give the money 
and the clothes to Gehazi. He gave even more than Gehazi asked for, 
and sent the gift back with two of his servants. 

Gehazi was careful that Elisha should not see him. He left the 
gift in a secret place and sent the servants away. Then he came into 



A LITTLE BOY WHO BECAME EING 


317 


the house where Elisha sat, and Elisha asked, ‘ ‘Where have you been?’ ’ 
Gehazi answered, “I have not been away.” But Elisha knew the 
words were not true. He knew about Gehazi ’s sin, and he said, “My 
heart went with you when you followed Naaman and brought back 
that present.” Then he rebuked Gehazi for the great wrong that he 
had done, and he said, “Because you have desired riches more than 
to please God, the leprosy of Naaman shall come upon you.” And 
from that hour Gehazi was always a leper. 


STORY 19 

A LITTLE BOY WHO BECAME KING, AND HOW HE 
RULED IN JUDAH 

2 Chron. 22 : 11—24: 27 

Joash was only seven years old when he became the king of Judah. 
As a little Prince he had never been allowed to run about and play 
wherever he wished. He had been watched very carefully, lest his 
own grandmother, the wicked Queen Athaliah, should hear about him 
and try to kill him. 

Joash ’s father, who had been the king of Judah, was dead. And 
all of his brothers and sisters were dead, too. After his father had 
been killed, by an enemy, in the land of Israel, his grandmother had 
killed his brothers and sisters so that there should be no one left 
except herself to sit upon the throne. She| had not known about the 
bahv Prince, Joash, whose aunt had hidden him away in a safe place, 
with his faithful nurse. 

For six years Athaliah ruled the people as Queen. But many of 
the people were displeased to have her rule ovei* them. They knew 
the throne of David belonged to David’s descendants, and not to strang- 
ers, like this cruel woman. For Athaliah was the daughter of a heathen, 
and she was a heathen, too. She never went to worship in the beautiful 
temple of the Lord, which stood so near her palace, but she worshiped 
in an idol’s temple. She even caused her sons to break do win some of 
the beautiful parts of the temple and use those parts to decorate the 
temple of her heathen god. 

While Athaliah was busy ruling the people, the high priest Jehoi- 
ada, was busy planning a way to crown Joash king of Judah. Now 
Jehoiada was an uncle of the little Prince, and it was Jehoiada’s wife 


318 


B1BLEI-ST0RY BOOK 


who had rescued the Prince when he was a baby. These kind people 
loved the Lord, and they had taken care of little Joash and his faith- 
ful nurse during the years while the Queen was ruling in Judah. 

When Joash had grown from babyhood into a bright-faced little 
lad, his uncle called for men from different parts of Judah to come to 
the temple at Jerusalem. He gave them swords and spears, and told 
them to stand as guards about the temple court. Then when a great 
crowd of people gathered in the outer court, the high priest brought 
out the little Prince and placed him beside a pillar where the people 
could see him. How glad they Were to know that one of David’s 
descendants had been saved from the cruel hand of the Queen! They 
watched while the high priest and hisi sons anointed little Joash with 
oil and placed the crown upon his head. Then they shouted with a 
glad cry, “God save the King!” 

Queen' Athaliah did not know what was taking place at the tem- 
ple of the Lord. But when she saw the people gathering in the tem- 
ple court and when she heard them rejoicing, she feared that trouble 
was coming upon her. So she ran into the temple, right through the 
crowd of people, and there she saw the little King standing by the 

pillar, with a crown upon his head. 

The high priest saw her, and he 
commanded the men with sWords and 
spears to catch her and carry her 
away. And they took her out to a 
gate of the city and killed her there. 
Her friends, the idol-worshipers, be- 
came afraid, and they did not oppose 
the high priest and the new King. 

Until Joash grew to manhood, 
his uncle, the high priest, ruled the 
people. But he kept J oash and taught 
him how to rule the people aright. 
And as long as he lived, he helped 
Joash to be a good King. 

When Joash became a man he 
wished to repair the temple of the 
Lord. Many years had passed since 
Solomon had built the temple, and it 
had grown old. Then, too, Athaliah had caused her sons to tear down 
some of its beautiful parts and use those parts to decorate the temple 
of her god, Baal. Now Joash wanted to replace those damaged parts 




HOW ELISHA LED HIS ENEMIES INTO A TRAP 319 


and make the temple look as good as when it was new. At first he told 
the priests and the Levites to go through the land and ask the people 
for money to use in repairing the Lord’s house. But the money came 
so slowly that way, and finally he decided to place a large box, or chest, 
at the door of the temple where every one who came there to worship 
might see it. In the lid of this box was a hole, and he wanted the peo- 
ple to drop their money-gifts through the hole into the box. 

Joash ’s plan worked well, for the people were glad to help make 
the temple look as good as new. They brought much money, and soon 
the workmen were busy repairing every worn-out place in the great 
building. They even made new ornaments of gold and silver to beau- 
tify the Lord’s house. 

Jehoiada, the high priest, lived to be a very old man. And as long 
as he lived Joash ruled wisely. But after he died the people who loved 
to worship idols grew friendly with Joash and persuaded him to do 
wrong deeds. Finally they caused him to forget God. And in his 
last days J oash did many things that displeased the Lord. He even 
commanded wicked men to throw stones at one of Jehoiada ’s sons, 
who was a prophet of the Lord. After this prophet was! killed God 
permitted the Syrians to come down to Judah and rob that country 
and kill many of the idol-worshipers who had led Joash into sin. Then 
J oash became sick with great diseases, and while he lay suffering upon 
his bed some of his servants came into the room and killed him. 


STORY 20 

HOW ELISHA LED HIS ENEMIES INTO A TRAP 

2 Kings 6 : 8-23 

The King of Syria, began to look with greedy eyes upon the little 
kingdom of Israel, just south of his own country. He planned to attack 
the cities of Israel, one at a time, and steal them away from the rule 
of King Jehoram. So he sent his soldiers to make an attack on one 
of the cities. 

When the soldiers came to the city they were surprized to find that 
Jehoram had the place strongly guarded. They went back to their 
King, and he sent them to attack another city. And again they found 
that Jehoram had a strong guard waiting to protect the city and drive 
them away. Several times they tried to capture cities in Israel, but 
every time they found that the King of Israel was ready to drive them 
back. 


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BIBLE, -STORY BOOK 


The King of Syria began to wonder how King Jehoram seemed 
to know so much about his plans. He believed that one of his own 
soldiers was helping the King of Israel, by telling him in time to pre- 
pare himself to defend his cities. And the King of Syria thought, ‘ ‘I 
must find that guilty man and punish him.” So hei called all of his 
soldiers together and told them that one of them must be helping the 
King of Israel. 

It is a terrible thing to be found guilty of helping the enemies of 
one’s own country, and when a ruler finds such a man he always pun- 
ishes him severely. But none of the Syrian soldiers were being untrue 
to their King. One of them, however, knew who was telling Jehoram 
about their King’s plans, and he said, u O King, I know who your 
enemy is. None of us are deceiving you, but there is a prophet in 
Israel named Elisha, and whatever you plan to do against the kingdom 
of Israel he tells King Jehoram. Then Jehoram sends his soldiers to 
protect his cities from your attack.” 

The King of Syria knew he could never fight successfully against 
Israel while Elisha was there to tell about his plans. So he sent men 
to find out where the prophet was living. Then he decided to' send his 
whole army to take that single man and bring him back to Syria as a 
prisoner. The men returned and said that Elisha was staying in 
Dothan, and the King of Syria prepared his chariots and horses and a 
host of soldiers to go after him. 

One morning a few days later, when the servant of Elisha rose 
early and w!ent out-of-doors he was frightened to see a host of soldiers 
coming from every side. They were coming straight toward Dothan, 
and the servant guessed at once that they were Syrians and that they 
were coming to capture his master, Elisha. He ran into the house and 
cried, “Alas, my master! what shall we do?” 

Elisha did not seem to be frightened at all. He answered quietly, 
“Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with the 
Syrians.” The servant could not understand. He saw only himself 
and his master, and he knew there were thousands of Syrians, coming 
from every side to take them for prisoners. Then Elisha prayed and 
asked God to cause the servant’s eyes to see their protectors. And the 
servant saw a multitude of horses and chariots of fire in the moun- 
tains to take care of Elisha. He knew God had sent them to protect his 
master, and he was no longer afraid. 

When the Syrians came near to Dothan, Elisha asked God to cause 
them to become blind. And God sent blindness upon every one. Then 
Elisha went out to them and told them he would show' them the way 


WHERE FOUR LEPERS FOUND FOOD FOR A CITY 321 


to the city where they wished to find the prophet. And he led them 
to the city of Samaria. Then he} prayed that God would open their 
eyes again, and they looked about and saw that they were inside the 
walls of the city where their enemy, King Jehoram, lived. And they 
were afraid. 

Jehoram was surprized when the prophet led such a multitude of 
blind men into his city. He thought Elisha had brought them to be 
prisoners, and he asked, ‘ 4 Shall I kill them!?” But Elisha answered, 
“No. You must set bread and water before these men, fort they are 
hungry and they must be fed. Then We must send them away.” 

Jehoram was not a good mjan, but God caused him to respect Elisha 
and obey his words. He prepared a great amount of food and gave it 
to the Syrians, and after they had eaten he sent them back to their 
own land. And they did not try again to harm the good prophet. 


STORY 21 

WHERE FOUR LEPERS FOUND FOOD FOR A STARVING CITY 

2 Kings 6:24-7:20 

A time of great trouble had come to the land of Israel. Ben-hadad, 
the king of Syria, had led his great army into the land and had camped 
around the walls of Samaria, where Jehoram lived. Day after day he 
waited outside the walls for the people of that city to open the gate 
and let him come in to capture them and their King. But the people 
were afraid to open the gates. 

Ben-hadad knew that if he waited long enough the people of 
Samaria would starve for food, because they had no way to bring food 
inside the city. He believed they would then be willing to open the 
gate. So he built a nice camp and made ready to stay there for many 
days. And while he waited, sure enough the food-supply grew less 
and less inside the city walls, and the people began to get very hungry. 
They were willing to pay great sums of money for only a handful of 
food, and finally they could find nothing to eat except the flesh of horses 
and donkeys. 

One day while King Jehoram was Walking about through the 
streets of Samaria he learned that his people were even killing and eat- 
ing their own children. He was terrified, and he tore his clothes and 
dressed himself in sackcloth. Then he said, “ Elisha, the prophet, is 
to blame for this famine, and I am going to kill him.” Instead of 


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appreciating the good prophet who had helped him many times before, 
the King blamed Elisha for allowing this trouble to come upon Israel. 
Yet it was his own sins and the sins of his| people that had brought 
about this trouble. 

Elisha knew that Jehoram was sending a man to take him and cut 
off his head. But he told his friends to stop the man at the door and 
wait until the King himself should come. And soon Jehoram came, 
leaning upon the arm of an officer. Elisha spoke boldly to> him, and 
said, “Tomorrow about this time there shall be food for the hungry 
people in this city, and the food will be sold in the gate of the city for 
a small sum of money. ’ ’ The officer who came with the King did not 
believe Elisha’s words. He said, “If the Lord would make windows 
in heaven, could this thing be true?” Elisha replied that the officer 
should see with his eyes, but he should not eat any of the food. And 
then the King decided to let Elisha live at least one more day, to see 
if his words would come true. 

That very evening four lepers came to the gate of Samaria and 
sat down. They were very tired and hungry. Although these men 
were Israelites they had not been allowed to live among their own peo- 
ple, because they were lepers. Now they wondered what to do. They 
knew of the famine inside the city walls, so they decided to go out to 
the camp of Ben-hadad and give themselves up for prisoners. But 
when they came to the camp they found no one in sight. Every tent 
was empty. On and on they Went, from one tent to another, but they 
did not see a Syrian anywhere. They found much food, and ate greed- 
ily of it. Then they began to gather the treasures of gold and silver 
and rich garments, which the Syrians had left in the camp, intending to 
hide them in a safe place. 

Finally the lepers thought of the starving people in Samaria, and 
they said to each other, “We do wrong when we fail to report to the 
people what we have found in this camp.” So they hurried to the 
city gate and told the gatekeeper about the good news. And soon the 
lepers’ message was being told in every part of the city. 

Now, God had caused the Syrians and their King to hear a strange 
noise, which sounded like a strong army coming upon them through 
the darkness, and they feared that Jehoram had sent for the kings of 
other countries to come and drive them away. They were not pre- 
pared to meet and fight a strong army, and they did not want to be 
defeated. So they left their tents and their food and everything in 
the camp, and ran on foot toward their homeland. As* they ran they 
dropped the treasures that they had tried to carry back to their own 


THE PROPHET WHO TRIED TO RUN AWAY FROM HOD 323 


country, and the road was strewn With rich garments and empty vessels. 

As soon as King Jehoramj heard what the lepers had found in the 
camp, he rose up in the night and sent servants to search in the country 
for the missing army. H]e thought that Ben-hadad and his soldiers were 
only hiding somewhere near by, waiting for the starving people to 
crowd out of the city in search of food. But the servants soon returned, 
and told the King that they had found no trace of Ben-liadad ’s army 
anywhere. They told him how the road was strewn with garments and 
vessels, just as if the enemy had run away in great haste. 

On the next day Elisha’s words came true, for the people gath- 
ered much food from] the empty tents of the Syrians and brought it 
to the gate of the city to be sold. And Jehoram told the officer on whose 
arm he had leaned, to sit in the gate and have charge of the people as 
they came and went; but the officer could not control them, for they 
were so hungry that they crowded like starving animals, and they 
pushed him down and trampled over him until he died. Perhaps before 
he died he remembered that Elisha had said, “Your eyes shall see the 
food, but you shall not eat of it.” 


STORY 22 

THE PROPHET WHO TRIED TO RUN AWAY FROM GOD 

Jonah 1—4 

During the years that Elisha Was the prophet in Israel, the Syrians 
were a strong nation, and they often warred against the Israelites. 
But after Elisha died the Syrian nation grew weaker, and by and by 
did not trouble Israel any more at all. 

Then a new enemy arose, from the fair east country. This new 
enemy was the Assyrian king, who was conquering many little coun- 
tries round about. And all the while he was sending his armies nearer 
and nearer to the border-land of Israel, and the Israelites were begin- 
ning to fear him. 

Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, and the home of the great 
king. And; Nineveh was a great city. It had stood for hundreds of 
years, and it had grown larger and larger until thousands and thou- 
sands of people lived inside its high walls. These people did not serve 
the true God, but worshiped idols. And year after year they became 
more wicked, until finally God thought he would destroy them all. 

But God is very merciful. He knew the people of Nineveh had 


324 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


not known about him, as had the people of Israel, for no prophets had 
ever come to warn them about their wrong-doings. So he decided to 
send them a prophet from Israel to tell them that their city would be 
destroyed because of their awful sins. 

Jonah was the prophet whom God chose to send to Nineveh. But 
Jonah did not want to go to that wicked city so far from his homeland. 
He knew the Assyrians were enemies of the Israelites, and he thought 
it would be better if God would destroy their city than to give them 
a chance to repent of their sins. So Jonah thought, “I will not go to 
Nineveh. I will take a ship down at the Great Sea, and I will sail 
away toward the west country instead of going toward the east coun- 
try. Then maybe I can get so far away that God will not talk to me 
any more about going to preach to those wicked people of Nineveh. ” 

Jonah went down to the seaside and found a ship ready to sail 
away. He paid his fare, climbed on board the ship, and started with 
the sailors to go to a city called Tarshish, far to the west. He thought 
he was very safe now, and he feared no longer that he should have to 
go to Nineveh. Indeed, he felt so safe that he went down into the 
ship and soon fell fast asleep. 

But God knew all about Jonah’s plans, and God was not willing 
for this prophet to disobey him. He had called Jonah to go to preach 
to the heathen people in Nineveh, and he sent a storm on the Sea which 
threatened to wreck the ship. The sailors became frightened and they 
called on their gods to quiet the winds ; but the winds blew only harder 
than ever. They did not know what to do. Finally the captain went 
down into the ship and found Jonah lying there asleep. 

The captain woke J onah and told him to call upon his God for help 
in this time of trouble. Bu^ Jonah did not feel much like asking God 
to help him when he was running away from the work that God had 
told him to do. No doubt his conscience began to trouble him greatly; 
and when he saw the strong waves dash against the ship and toss it 
about like a chip on the water, he feared that he should never again 
see dry land. 

When the storm continued to rage, the sailors decided that one of 
them on board the ship must be the cause of the trouble, so they decided 
to cast lots and see on which one the lot would fall. And the lot fell 
on Jonah. 

Jonah was a stranger among them, and the sailors wondered what 
terrible thing this stranger had done. They gathered round him and 
asked, ‘ ‘ Tell us, Who are you ? and what is your business f ’ ’ And Jonah 
told them that he was from the land of Israel and that he worshiped 


THE PROPHET WHO TRIED TO RUN AWAY FROM GOD 325 


the God who had made the sea and the dry land. At once they were 
afraid, for they did not know about such a great God, and they thought 
surely he was angry. Jonah told them how he had tried to run away 
Horn God, and they believed that God was trying to punish him. Jonah, 
too, believed that God had sent the storm on his account. 

“What shall we do to you, that the storm may cease V 9 asked the 



THE GREAT FISH THROWING JONAH ONTO THE LAND 

frightened men when they saw that their ship would soon be dashed 
in pieces if the wind and waves continued to toss it about. And Jonah 
answered, “Throw me overboard into the water, and then the storm 
will end.” The sailors did not wish to treat Jonah so cruelly; but when 
they saw that all would be lost if they allowed him to remain on board 
the vessel, they picked him up and threw him into the sea. Then the 
waves grew quiet, and the wind grew calm, and Jonah disappeared 
out of sight. 

But God was not yet finished with Jonah. He had prepared a 
great fish, and the fish swallowed Jonah and carried him about for 
three days and three nights before throwing him out onto the land. By 


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that time Jonah was very willing to go to Nineveh and preach God’s 
message to the people there. 

When Jonah entered the city he began to cry out: ‘ 4 Within forty 



days Nineveh shall be destroyed!” On and on he went, for Nineveh 
was a great city, and in every street where he passed he cried out the 
same wlords. And the people stopped to listen to his strange mes- 



THE SAD ENDING OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL 327 


sage. They had never seen a prophet of God before. Some of them 
ran to tell their King about Jonah’s words, and the King was fright- 
ened. He rose from his throne and laid aside his rich garments and 
dressed himself in sackcloth. Then he sat down in ashes and became 
sorry for his sins. He commanded all the people of the city to do as 
he was doing, and to cry earnestly to God to spare their lives. 

After Jonah finished preaching he went outside the great walls 
and waited to see the fire fall from the sky to burn up the enemies of 
the Israelites. But forty days passed by and no fire fell. Because the 
people believed Jonah’s message and repented of their sins God did not 
destroy their city. Then Jonah became very much displeased. He 
feared that people might call him a false prophet, and he wanted to 
die instead of go back to his own country again. 

God taught Jonah a lesson by allowing a gourd-vine to grow up 
in one night and make a shelter for him from the burning heat of the 
sun. Then God caused a worm to destroy the gourd, and Jonah became 
very unhappy. Again he wished that he might die. So the Lord spoke 
to Jonah and said, 4 ‘You were sorry to see the plant die, though you 
did not make it grow. And should I not have more pity on the people 
of Nineveh than you have on a plant!” Jonah learned that God looks 
upon people of every nation as being precious in his sight, even though 
they do not know how to worship him. 


STORY 23 

THE SAD ENDING OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL 

2 Kings 17 

The people of Nineveh believed God’s prophet and were ready to 
ask God to forgive their sins. They repented, and they were not de- 
stroyed. But the people of Israel did not believe the faithful prophets 
whom God sent to them, one after another. Some of them, of course, 
believed; but many of them did not. Their kings refused to worship 
God in the right way, and kept the golden calves, which the first king 
of Israel had made. 

Many years passed by, and God saw that the Israelites would 
never return to worship him as they had done in the days of David and 
Solomon. Nineteen kings had ruled in the land of Israel, and many 
times God had helped those kings out of trouble. Still they would not 
lead their people back to the true worship. 


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At last God allowed an enemy to carry them all away to a strange 
land. Hoshea was king in Israel when the great Assyrian army came 
down into the land and took possession of it. For a while Hoshea and 
his people paid a large sum; of money each year to the Assyrian nation, 
and they were allowed to live in their own land. But w^hen Hoshea 
refused to pay the money and sent to the king of Egypt for help, the 
king of Assyria sent his armiy again, and the army took Hpshea and 
all his people away from their homes and led them into heathen cities 
to keep them for slaves. This was the terrible punishment that their 
sins of idol-worship had brought upon them. And they were never 
kgain allowed to return to live in their homeland. 

The Assyrian king now ruled over all of the country where the ten 
tribes of Israel used to live. He wanted to have some people in that 
land, so he took some heathen people from cities in the east country 
and brought them to live in the cities of Samaria. He told them to 
work the fields and keep the vineyards, and pay him money from the 
crops they raised in Israel. 

The new people in Israel were idol-worshipers. They did not 
know about the true God at all. After they had been in the land for 
some time they became afraid of the God of that land, for lions would 
come out of the woods and kill some of them When they) went out to 
their fields to work. They believed that the God of Israel was sending 
the lions among them because they did not know how to worship him. 
So they sent messengers hack to Nineveh to tell the king about their 
troubles. They asked him to send a priest of the Israelite slaves hack 
to Israel, that he might teach them to worship the Israelites’ God. 

The king sent a priest of the Israelites, and he went to live in 
Bethel. He told the strange people about the true God, and they, too, 
tried to worship him. But they continued to worship their own gods, 
and their religion became a mixture of right and wrong. Even today 
some of the descendants of those people are living in Samaria, and 
their worship is a mixture of idolatry and the religion of the Jews. 


THE! GOOD KING HBZEKlIAH 


329 


STORY 24 

THE GOOD KING HEZEKIAH 

2 Kings 18—20; 2 Chronicles 29—32 

After the people of Israel were carried away into captivity by the 
king of Assyria, only the tribe of Judah remained of the twelve tribes 
that had entered the promised land under the leadership of Joshua 
(see Part Third, Story Two). And Hezekiah wjas the king of Judah 
at that time. 

Now the kingdom of Judah was very weak when Hezekiah took 
the throne. For many years it had been ruled by men who were not 
serving the true God, and they had even shut up the temple of the Lord. 
Hezekiah began at once to restore the true religion. He called for the 
priests and the Levites to come to Jerusalem to cleanse the temple. 
Then when everything was ready for worship at the house of God, he 
sent invitations to the people in every part of the land of Judah and 
Israel, and commanded them to come to the Feast of the Passover, which 
they had not kept for many long years. 

Some of the people only laughed when they received Hezekiah ’s 
invitation to attend the Feast. They had worshiped idols for so long a 
time that they did not care to return to Jerusalem again, to Worship 
the true God. But many from the land of Judah came gladly, and 
there was a great meeting. 

Hezekiah destroyed the idols out of his land, and tried to teach 
his people to do right. He found in Jerusalem the brass serpent that 
Moses had made in the wilderness. He saw that the people were burn- 
ing incense before this brass serpent, just as if it were an idol, so he 
cast it into the fire. He tore dowtn the altars that had been built to 
worship heathen gods, and did much to strengthen his kingdom. 

The King of Assyria had gained power over Judah before Heze- 
kiah took the throne. Every year the people of Judah had to pay 
Assyria a large sum of money. But Hezekiah was. displeased to have 
his people oppressed by this heathen King. He decided to quit paying 
the money. He built up the walls of Jerusalem until they were very 
strong. Then he gathered an army and made ready to fight against 
the Assyrians. 

But Hezekiah ’s army was only a handful compared to the hosts 
of Assyria. Thef enemies came into the land of Judah and took one 
city after another. Then they marched toward Jerusalem, and Heze- 


330 


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kiah knew that his soldiers could not keep them away. He saw when 
too late that he had madei a sad mistake when he refused to pay the 
money that the Assyrian King required of his people. So he sent word 
to the angry King, promising to resist him no more and to pay what- 
ever that King should require 

The King of Assyria thought: “Now is my chance to spoil this 
little country of Judah.” So he demanded a heavier tax than he had 
ever asked before. And Hezekiah took all the gold and silver that was 
in his palace, and all that he could find among the people, and even the 
gold and silver from the temple of the Lord to pay this tax. Still the 
King of Assyria was not satisfied. He sent a message, saying, i ‘ I am 
going to destroy your city and take you and your people away to a far 
country, just as I have done to your neighbors who lived in Israel. 
The gods of other nations did not help them wllien I came against them, 
and your God will not be able to save you.” 

Hezekiah was afraid when he heard this message. He knew that 
his army was not strong enough to drive away such a powerful enemy. 
He took the letter that this King had written and went into the temple 
to pray. There he spread the letter before the altar and asked God 
to help him and his people out of their trouble. Then he sent some of 
his princes to visit the good prophet Isaiah and ask him to tell them 
about God’s will. 

Isaiah answered, “The Lord has said that the King of Assyria 
shall not come into this city, nor shall he even shoot an arrow against 
it. But he shall go back to his own country by the way that he came, 
and there he shall be killed with a sword.” 

That same night an angel of God visited the camp of the Assyrian 
King and caused a terrible sickness to fall upon the soldiers. By morn- 
ing many of them lay dead. All of the leaders in the army were among 
the dead men, and the King rose up and hastened back to his own land. 
Never again did he return to fight against Hezekiah, for God had heard 
and answered the prayers of the good King. And years after this, 
while he was worshiping in the templd of his god in Nineveh, two of 
his own sons killed him. 

At one time Hezekiah became very sick, and there was no cure to 
be found for his sickness. Isaiah, the prophet, came to him and said, 
‘ 1 God has commanded that you get ready to leave this world, for you 
must die.” 

Hezekiah did not feel that he could leave his people. He turned 
his face to the wall and prayed earnestly that God would make him 
well again. Then he wept bitter tears, and reminded God how faith- 



HEZEKIAH SPREADING THE LETTER BEFORE GOD 


332 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


fully he had tried to rule the people. And God heard Hezekiah ’s 
prayer. 

Isaiah was returning to his home when the Lord spoke to him 
again, saying, 4 4 Go back to the King and tell him that I have heard his 
prayer and seen his tears ; and now I will add fifteen years to his life. 
On the third day he shall be able to go up to the temple to worship.” 

Hezekiah was glad to hear Isaiah’s second message. He asked for 
a sign from the prophet, and Isaiah answered, 4 4 The sign shall be ac- 
cording to your choice. Shall the shadow on the sun-dial go backward 
or shall it go forward ten degrees?” The sun-dial was the instrument 
by which the King might know the time of day ; for he had no clocks 
as we have now. And Hezekiah asked that the shadow might go back- 
ward, as it would not seem like a sign for the shadow to move forward. 
So Isaiah prayed, and the shadow moved backward ten degrees. 

And Hezekiah was healed of his disease, according to God’s word, 
and he lived for fifteen years more. During that time he built up his 
kingdom and became very rich. He grew proud of his riches ; but God 
rebuked him, and he humbled his heart again. When he died all the 
land mourned for him, because they knew he had been the best king 
Judah had known. 


STORY 25 

THE STORY ABOUT A FORGOTTEN BOOK 

2 Chronicles 34, 35 

It whs house-cleaning time in the temple of the Lord. Many years 
had passed since this building had been repaired by the boy king, Jo- 
ash, and during those long years the temple had been much neglected. 
It had even been mistreated, for one king had set up altars for the idol 
of Baal right in the courts of the Lord’s house. Now that king was 
dead, and his grandson, Josiah, was ruling the people of Judah. And 
because Josiah was trying to do right he had given the commjand that 
God’s house should be repaired and made ready for the proper kind 
of worship. 

Many skilful workmen were hired to help repair the temple. And 
the heathen altars were tom out of the temple courts and carried out- 
side the city, where they were burned with fire. While this work was 
going on, the high priest was setting things in order in the rooms of 
(he temple. And there, hidden away beneath some rubbish, he found a 
strange book. 


THE STORY ABOUT A FORGOTTEN BOOK 


333 


This strange book proved to be the same one as Moses had writ- 
ten before he died. It was called the Book of the Law, for in it Moses 
had written the words of the* law, which God gave to the Israelites. 
And Moses had commanded that the book should be read in the hear- 
ing of all the people once every seven years. But now many years had 
passed by since the book had been read. And during those years the 
book had been entirely forgotten. 

The high priest carefully removed the dust from this precious 
book and called for a servant of King Josiah. Shaphan, the servant, 
came quickly, and the high priest told him to carry the book to the King. 

Now, Josiah had never heard the words of God’s law before this 
time. He asked his servant to read aloud from the book, and Shaphan 
read about God’s promise to bless the people if they should serve him 
faithfully. Then he continued to read, and Josiah heard about God’s 
promise to punish the people if they should forsake him and turn to 
worship idols. Josiah was alarmed. He knew the people had dis- 
obeyed God’s law, and he feared the awful punishments, which God 
promised to send upon them. He tore his clothes and wept bitter tears. 
Then he sent servants to a Woman named Huldah, who was a proph- 
etess, to ask her about God’s plan to punish the people for their 
great sins. 

Huldah told the servants that God would surely send all the great 
punishments upon the people just as he had promised to do if they 
should forsake his law and worship idols. But because Josiah, the 
king, had humbled his heart arid had wept tears of sorrow for their 
sins, Huldah said that God would not let the punishments come upon 
the land during his lifetime. 

■Josiah did not try to forget about the words of God’s law. He 
w&nted all his people to hear them, too. So he called for a great meet- 
ing at Jerusalem, and when the people came together he read to them 
out of the book. Then he promised God to keep that law and to serve 
God with all his heart. Hq commanded his people to keep the law, 
too. And they obeyed their King. 

Afterwards Josiah prepared to keep the Passover Feast, which 
the Israelites were commanded in God’s law to keep once every year. 
He assembled the people froml every part of the land, and when they 
came together he gave from his own flocks many lambs for the Pass- 
over supper. And the people rejoiced together, and kept the Feast 
for seven days. Not since the days of the prophet Samuel had there 
been such a great Passover Feast as this one. 

Josiah ruled the people for thirty-one years. He began to rule 


334 


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when he was only a child, eight years old. Of course some older men 
had charge of the important affairs of the kingdom until he grew to 
manhood. But Josiah longed to be a good king when he was only a boy. 
And at the agQ of sixteen he began to seek God earnestly, and God 
helped him to rule wisely. 

At the end of Josiah ’s good reign the king of Ejgypt went out to 
tight against the Assyrian king, and he marched through the land of 
Judah. Josiah was not pleased to have him pass through the country 
so he called out his army and prepared to fight against him. Now the 
king of Egypt did not Wish to fight against Josiah, and he sent word 
for Josiah to return home from the battle-field; but Josiah would not 
go. He dressed himself in the clothes of a common soldier and went 
out to the battle anyway. And in the midst of the fight he was shot by 
an archer and wounded so severely that his servants brought him back 
to Jerusalem in a chariot. Soon afterwards he died, and the people 
buried him among the honorable kings of Judah. The prophet of God 
wept for him, because he knew that Josiah was the last king who would 
ever try to keep the words that Moses wrote in the Book of the Law. 


STORY 26 

THE WEEPING PROPHET, AND HIS GREAT WORK 

Jeremiah 1—52 

While Josiah was the king in Judah, God called a young man named 
Jeremiah to be a prophet. At first Jeremiah thought he could never 
obey this call, for he was a shy, timid young man. He told the Lord 
that he could not speak to the people because he was only a child. But 
God answered, “Do not say you are only a child; for you must go to 
every person to whom I send you, and you must tell them every word 
1 bid you.” Then the Lord touched Jeremiah’s mouth and said, “I 
have put my words in your mouth, and I have set you over the nation 
to do a great work for me.” 

Jeremiah was no longer afraid to obey when God promised to be 
with him and help him out of his troubles. For Jeremiah knew he 
would have many troubles. He knew how the prophets before him had 
been cruelly treated because they dared to speak God’s words to the 
sinful people. He knew that he, too, might have to suffer many things. 

While Josiah was king in Judah, Jeremiah was treated kindly. 


THE WEEPING PROPHET AND HIS GREAT WORK 335 


But after Josiah died the people soon turned back to idol-worship 
again. They did not care for the true God, and they refused to listen 
to his faithful prophet. The king of Egypt took their new king away 
as a prisoner, and made them pay great sums of money every year. 
Then he placed another of Josiah ’s sons upon the throne of Judah. 

Josiah ’s sons were not good men like their father. They forsook 
God and allowed idols to be set up all through the land. They even 
treated God’s prophet unkindly because he wlarned them about the 
dangers that God would send upon them as punishments for their sins. 

One day Jeremiah told his dear friend Baruch the words that 
God spoke to him, and Baruch wrote the words in a hook. Then he 
took the hook and went out to read it among the people. Soon the 
princes of Judah heard about it, and they called for Baruch and asked 
him to read to them 1 . They were frightened when they heard what 
Baruch had written; for they believed God’s words, and they knew 
their land would soon be taken away from them. They asked Baruch 
to let them have the book to read to the King. But first they told 
Baruch to hide himself and Jeremiah, lest the King be angry when he 
hear the words of God and try to punish them for putting the words 
into the book. 

Jehoiakim, Josiah ’s son, was the king at that time. He was sitting 
in his palace when the princes came to him, bringing the book that 
Baruch had written. And he listened while they read. But as soon 
as they finished reading a page he called for the book and took his pen- 
knife and cut the page out. Then he threw it into the fire. This he did 
with every page that Baruch had written. He would not believe the 
words of the Lord. And he wanted to punish J eremiah and his friend ; 
but he could not find them. 

The princes sent word to Jeremiah and Baruch, telling them how 
the King had treated the book, and once more the prophet and his 
friend wrote down the words of God. And the words that they wrote 
were true ; for not long afterwards a great king from the east country, 
of Chaldea, came and took Jehoiakim and some of his people away to 
Babylon. And there Jehoiakim was placed in a prison-house and kept 
for a prisoner as long as he lived. 

But Jeremiah’s troubles were by no means ended. A new^ king, 
Zedekiah, the son of wicked Jehoiakim, was soon ruling the people of 
Judah, and he was more wicked than his father had been. He caused 
Jeremiah to he cast into a prison-house because he spoke the words of 
God. And the men who put him into the prison tied ropes about his 
waist and lowered him into a deep hole beneath the prison floor. Such 




336 


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JEREMIAH BEING LOWERED INTO THE DUNGEON 



THE WEEPING PROPHET AND HIS GREAT' WORK 337 

a hole is called a dungeon, and there the prophet was kept for some 
time. 

In the dark, dreary dungeon Jeremiah was very unhappy. He had 
no comfortable place to rest, and he had only dry bread and water to 
eat and drink day after day. 

While this trouble was happening to Jeremiah, the people of Jeru- 
salem 1 were also in distress. The king of Babylon had come again, 
with a strong army, and was camping around the walls of their city. 
They could not go away, and none of their friends could come to help 
them. And their food-supply was growing smaller every day. Soon 
they would have nothing left to eat. 

The King of Judah was afraid of this army outside his city. He 
called for Jeremiah to tell him what to do. So the men let ropes down 
into the dungeon and pulled the prophet out again to send him to the 
King. And Jeremiah told the King that God was going to allow the 
army to capture that city and break down its walls and even destroy 
the beautiful temple of the Lord. But he said that God would not let 
the Chaldean king, Nebuchadnezzar, kill the people of Jerusalem if 
they would willingly offer themselves to become his prisoners. Then 
they would not need to starve to death inside the city. 

Jeremiah asked the Ring not to send him back into that dark 
dungeon again. So afterwards he was kept in the court of the prison, 
and treated more kindly. But he was not allowed to go about through 
the city and talk to the people. 

The people of Jerusalem and their King were not willing to give 
themselves up as prisoners to Nebuchadnezzar, as Jeremiah had told 
them to do. So weary months passed by, and they stayed inside the 
walls of Jerusalem and suffered from hunger and thirst. Jeremiah 
suffered with them, for he could not escape. At last, when all the food 
was gone, the King decided to slip away from Jerusalem during the 
night. He thought the Chaldean army and King Nebuchadnezzar 
might not see him. 

But King Zedekiah had not gone far from the city when he was 
captured by his enemies, the Chaldeans. They put heavy chains on his 
hands and feet, and then put out his eyes and led him away to Babylon. 
Many of the people of Judah were taken with him<, and only a few of 
the poorer people were left in the land. Nebuchadnezzar and his army 
broke down the walls of Jerusalem and set fire to the temple of the 
Lord. They first took out all the vessels of gold and silver that they 
found in the temple, and carried those precious vessels to their own 
land. 


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BIBLlE-STORY book 


Jeremiah was allowed to remain in the land of Judah among the 
poorer people. And he lived to be an old man. But as long as he lived 
he faithfully warned the people according to all the words that God 
spoke to him. Because he lived during such a time of trouble, Jere- 
miah was a sad-faced man. He talked more about the sorrows of his 
people than about their joys. And often he wept because of their sins. 
For this reason he was called the “Weeping Prophet.” 


PART SIXTH 

STORIES ABOUT THE JEWS 

Daniel ; Neliemiah; Haggai ; Ezra; Esther; Malachi 


STORY 1 

HOW THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH LIVED IN A STRANGE LAND 

2 Chron. 36 : 14-21 

When the city of Jerusalem was finally broken up, the Chaldean 
army started back on their long journey to Babylon. They took with 
them Zedekiah, the . king of Judah, and! a host of his people for pris- 
oners. Old men and women, young people, and even children were 
among the number who marched as prisoners to Babylon. 

Day after day this host of people walked on and on, stopping only 
at night to camp by the roadside and rest from their weary journey. 
And at every camp they knew they were farther away from their home 
and nearer the land of strangers. 

From this time the captives were called “ Jews”— a word that 
means “the people of Judah.’ ’ And the Jews of today are descend- 
ants of those very people who marched! as prisoners from Jerusalem 
to Babylon so long ago. 

When at last the weary journey came to an end, the Jews found 
that their new: ruler treated them more kindly than they had hoped. 
He gave them, fields and houses in that strange land, and permitted 
them to work for themselves just as they had done in their own coun- 
try. He even took some of them into his capital city and trained them 
to become his nobles and rulers. 

God did not forget the people after they were carried away to 
Babylon. He sent messages! to them from his faithful prophet Jere- 
miah. And he promised to bring them back again to their own coun- 
try if they would try to> please him while they were living among 
strangers. The people listened to these messages, and some of them 
rejoiced to hear Jeremiah’s letters read. They longed for the time 
to come when they could return to -the land of their fathers. 

In the land of Babylon the Jews refused to worship idols. They 

339 . 


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saw around them the idolatry of their heathen neighbors, the Chal- 
deans ; but they remembered how God was displeased with idol-worship, 
and they were trying now to please him. They often met together in 
little groups and talked about the land of Judah and the beautiful tem- 
ple of the Lord, which had been destroyed. And when they talked 
about these things they wept for sorrow. 

Sometimes the Chaldeans would ask the Jews to sing for them. 
Perhaps they had heard that the Jews were lovers of music, and were 
skilled musicians. But the Jews hung their harps away and refused 
to sing. They would answer, “How can wie sing the Lord’s song in a 
strange land!” They thought the beautiful songs of joy and victory 
that David and other musicians had written would sound out of place 
in a strange country. 

Now the Jews were careful to teach their children about the true 
God. They were glad when the priests and the Levites came to talk 
to them about Moses’ law. And as the days and the years passed by 
they did not forget the hope which Jeremiah had given them— the hope 
of returning again to Judah. 

In the land of Babylon another man began to hear messages from 
God and to speak those messages to the people. This man was Ezekiel, 
who was one of the captive Jews. He had been among the first cap- 
tives, when Jehoiakim was taken to Babylon. And he afterwards went 
back to warn the other people in Judah about God’s punishment upon 
them for their disobedience. Ezekiel saw wonderful visions from God, 
and he encouraged the people to believe that the time would come when 
they might return again to their own land. 


STORY 2 

FOUR BRAVE BOYS WHO STOOD BEFORE A GREAT KING 

Daniel 1 

In the king’s palace at Babylon a; company of young boys were 
being entertained. These young lads were strangers in Babylon. But 
they were not strangers in a king’s court, for they had lived in a royal 
palace in their home country. 

Among this company were four bright-eyed, handsome youths who 
seemed to be more thoughtful than their friends. These boys were 
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and they had come from Je- 
rusalem with the first captives whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away 


FOUR BRAVE BOYS WHO STOOD! BEFORE A KINO 341 


from Judah. They had been princes in Judah during the rule of Ki ng 
Jehoiakim, and they served the God of Israel. 



King Nebuchadnezzar had commanded his chief officer of the pal- 
ace to choose this company of young boys and to teach them the learn- 
ing of the Chaldeans. He wished to have them wtell trained, that when 
they should become grown men they might be able to help rule the great 
kingdom of Babylon. And he had 
appointed his servants to carry choice 
food from his own table to set before 
them every day, that they might eat 
of it and grow into sturdy manhood. 

Now, Daniel and his three 
friends wished to keep the law that 
God gave to the people of Israel ; and 
that law forbade them to eat of cer- 
tain kinds of food. But the heathen 
nations, like the Chaldeans, had no 
regard for that law, and they pre- 
pared food that the Jews called un- 
clean. They also cooked their food 
in certain ways that the law of Moses 
condemned. Daniel and his three 
friends knew about these differences 
between the Chaldeans and their own 
people. And they decided to refuse 
the King’s food, lest it should be the 
kind of food that Moses in his book 
had forbidden the Israelites to eat. 

God knew about the desire of 
Daniel and his friends. And God caused the chief officer of the King’s 
palace to love these young boys. When the food was brought before 
them from the King’s table, Daniel stood up and bravely told the officer 
about his desire not to* eat of that food, lest he should be breaking the 
law of his God. He also pleaded for his three friends, Hananiah, 
Mishael, and Azariah, that they, too, might be allowed to refuse the 
King’s food. 

At first the officer w|as afraid that the King might be displeased 
if the boys refused to eat food from his table. He said, “When you 
appear before Nebuchadnezzar and he sees that you are not looking so 
well and strong as the other young boys, then he will think that I have 
not cared for you as I should have done. And he will kill me.” 


DANIEL REFUSING THE KING’S FOOD 


342 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


But Daniel said, ‘‘Try us for ten days with! the kind of food we 
desire to eat, and then see if we do not look as well fed as the other 
young men.” Because the officer loved these hoys he agreed to do as 
Daniel had asked. And for ten days he fed them vegetable food and 
bread instead of the meats and wine from the King’s table. 

At the end of the ten days the officer saw that Daniel and his 
friends were even healthier-looking than their companions. So he con- 
tinued to give them the food that they desired. And God blessed these 
boys with much wisdom, so* that they quickly learned the language and 
the wisdom of the Chaldeans. 

When three years had passed the King requested that the young 
boys should be brought before him. He examined them with hard 
questions, and he saw that Daniel and his three friends were wiser by 
ten times than were any of the wisest men in all his kingdom. Neb- 
uchadnezzar was well pleased with these young Jews. He gave them 
places of honor among his own people, and they continued to live in 
Babylon for many years. 


STORY 3 

HOW DANIEL BECAME A GREAT MAN IN BABYLON 

Daniel 2 

After young Daniel and his three friends were numbered among 
the wise men in Babylon, one night the King had a very strange dream. 
When he awoke from the dream he could not go to sleep again. And 
the dream troubled him greatly. He believed that surely that dream 
must have a deep meaning, and he decided to call the wise men in his 
kingdom and have them explain the meaning to him. 

Morning came at last, and Nebuchadnezzar arose from his bed. 
But now he could no longer recall his dream. This fact troubled him, 
too, for he knew the dream had been strange and he believed it had a 
deep meaning. Hie sent at once for the wise men who had often stood 
before him, and when they came he told them about his troubled 
thoughts regarding the strange dream which he could no longer remem- 
ber. He asked them to tell the dream and the meaning of it. 

The wise men were puzzled at this request from their King. They 
thought he was being unreasonable, for they did not know what he had 
dreamed about. So they asked him to tell the dream first, and then 
they wtould tell the meaning. “I have forgotten the dream,” replied 


HOW DANIEL BECAME, A GREAT MAN IN BABYLON 343 


the King, impatiently, “and if you are as wise as you claim to be you 
can tell me what it was. Then you can tell its meaning.’ ’ 

When the wise men insisted that no human being could do such 
a thing as tell what some one else had dreamed and forgotten, the King 
became very angry with them. He said, “Unless you tell this dream 
and its meaning you shall all be killed.” Even this cruel threat could 
not enable the wise men to know the dream, so they turned away from 
his presence in great fear. 

Nebuchadnezzar then called the captain of his guard and com- 
manded him to kill all the wise men in Babylon. So Arioch, the cap- 
tain, took his sword and prepared himself to do the terrible deed. When 
he came to Daniel’s house he found that the brave young man and his 
three friends had heard nothing about the King’s command. They 
had not appeared with the other wise men before Nebuchadnezzar. 

When Daniel heard what had happened he begged the captain to 
delay the cruel work) until he might first speak with the King. Then 
he hurried to the palace and went boldly in to tell Nebuchadnezzar 
that he would find out the dream and its interpretation if only a little 
time were given him to prepare. And Nebuchadnezzar granted him 
a little time. 

Daniel knew that no living person could be wise enough in him- 
self to do what the King had required ; but Daniel knew also that secret 
things are known by the great God of all the earth, whom he and his 
three friends were serving. So the four young men prayed very ear- 
nestly that God would cause Daniel to know this dream, and that night 
God showed Daniel in a vision what the dream had been and what it 
meant. 

Now Daniel was very thankful to God. He knelt down and prayed 
a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving. Then he went quickly to Arioch, 
the captain of the King’s guard, and said, “Do not destroy the wise 
men, but bring me in to speak with the King; for I can tell the inter- 
pretation of his dream.” Arioch was glad, and he took Daniel and 
brought him to the palace. Then he told the King that he had found 
a man among the captives from Judah who could make known the 
strange dream and its meaning. 

Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that the power to make known his 
dream was given by the great God in heaven, for no wise man of earth 
could know such secrets and reveal them. Then he said: “0 King, 
when you lay down to sleep on your bed you wondered what should 
come to pass in future years. Then you fell asleep, and in your dream 
God showed you what would happen hereafter. And this was your 


344 


BIBLOE-STORY BOOK 


dream: You saw a great image, exceedingly bright, standing before 
you. The head of this image was of gold, the breast and arms were of 
silver, the waist and hips were of brass, the legs were of iron, and 
the feet were part of iron and part of clay. Then you saw a stone that 
Was cut without hands roll toward this great image and strike the 
feet, of it. And the stone broke the feet, and the whole image fell to 
the ground in broken pieces, and it became like dust, which the wind 
can blow away. Then while you looked in wonder, the stone grew until 
it became a great mountain, which filled the whole earth. ’ ’ 

Nebuchadnezzar listened eagerly to the young man’s words. Then 
Daniel continued: “Now I will tell you what this dream means, for 
God intends to teach you something by it. This great image represents 
four great kingdoms of earth. Your kingdom is the first, and the head 
of gold represents this kingdom. After you there will come another 
king not so great, and he is like the breast and arms of silver. The 
third kingdom is shown in the dream by the parts of brass, and the 
fourth by the iron legs and the feet. This fourth kingdom will be very 
strong at first, but afterward it will become Weaker ; for the iron in the 
feet was mixed with clay. 

“In the days of these kings,’ ’ said Daniel, “God will set up a 
kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and his kingdom is represented 
in your dream by that stone cut out without hands, which smote the 
great image till it fell. God’s kingdom will increase until it fills the 
whole earth, and it will break in pieces every other kingdom. This, 
0 King, was your dream, and this is the meaning of it.” 

Nebuchadnezzar was astonished at the wisdom of this young Jew. 
He believed that Daniel was a wonderful person, like a god, and he 
fell on the floor before Daniel to worship him. But Daniel had told 
him that the God in heaven had made known the dream and the mean- 
ing to him, so Nebuchadnezzar said, “Of a truth, your God is a God 
of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets.” Then Neb- 
uchadnezzar gave many great gifts to Daniel, and made him the ruler 
of all the province of Babylon, and the chief of all the wise men in 
his kingdom. He did not allow his captain to destroy the wise men, 
after Daniel had revealed the meaning of his dream. 

At Daniel’s request the King placed Hananiah, Mishael, and Aza- 
riah in honorable dffices of the province, among the governors of the 
land. And the names of these young men were known to the King 
as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 


WHAT THE KING SAW IN THE' FIERY FURNACE 345 


STORY 4 

WHAT THE KING SAW IN THE FIERY FURNACE 

Daniel 3 

Nebuchadnezzar, the king, grew in power until he became the 
greatest king in the world at that time. Year after year he added new 
countries to his kingdom, and in every country the people feared him 
greatly. These things caused him to become very proud, and to think 
himself a wonderful man indeed. 

Then Nebuchadnezzar decided to mjake a god and compel the peo- 
ple of every country to worship that god. So he built a great image, 
ninety feet high, and covered it with gold. This image he set up on the 
plain of Dura, which was near Babylon. There} it could be seen at a 
great distance. 

After the image had been set up, the King sent a command to the 
princes and rulers and officers in every nation, that they should come 
to the great gathering on the plain of Dura. And they dared not dis- 
obey. When they came together, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 
Daniel’s three friends, were among them. 

For some reason Daniel himself was not 
there. 

King Nebuchadnezzar was pleased 
to see such a vast company of men 
assembled on the plain before the 
image. He wished to have every one 
of them bow down and worship the 
god that he had made, so he caused 
one of his servants to cry out in a 
loud voice and say: “0 people, nations, 
and languages, to you it is commanded 
that when the sound of music is heard 
you must fall down upon your knees be- 
fore this great image of gold, which the 
King has set up. But if you refuse to 
fall down and worship the image, then 
you shall be thrown into a furnace of 
fire.” 

Soon afterwards the music began to play, and the people fell down 
on their knees, trembling in fear of the great King who had given such 
a stem command. All the people except three men bowled with their 



THE THREE WHO REFUSED TO 
WORSHIP THE IMAGE 


346 


BIBLE-STOBY BOOK 


faces to the ground. These three stood up boldly, and would not kneel 
at all. They were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 

Because Nebuchadnezzar had given these young men positions of 
honor in the kingdom, some of the Chaldeans were jealous of them. 
And now these jealous Chaldeans watched to see if Daniel’s friends 
would kneel before the image. When they saw the young men standing 
bravely alone among all the kneeling princes and nobles, they hurried 
to tell Nebuchadnezzar. 

And Nebuchadnezzar was surprized to hear that these men had 
dared to disobey his command. He knew they were good rulers, and he 
did not wish to destroy them in the furnace of fire. He thought perhaps 
they might have misunderstood, so he sent for them at once, and told 
them that he would give them another chance to< obey. But they bravely 
answered: “0 King, we will not accept another chance. We will not 
bow before your image, for we will not Worship any god except the one 
true God. And our God is so great that he can deliver us from the 
fiery furnace that you have prepared. But even if he will not deliver 
us from such a death, we will not worship any other god. ’ 9 

Nebuchadnezzar could not understand why these Jews should re- 
fuse to worship the image, and he was very angry indeed. He believed 
these young men were too stubborn to obey him, and he no longer wished 
to spare their lives from the cruel furnace. He commanded his ser- 
vants to throw more fuel into the fire and make it seven times hotter 
than it had been before. Then he called the mightiest men of his army 
and gave them orders to bind stout cords around Shadrach, Meshach, 
and Abednego, and throw them like pieces of wood into the fire. 

But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not afraid. They 
stood quietly while the mighty men wound the cords tightly around their 
bodies, and they did not cry out when the men picked them up and 
threw them into the furnace. But the flames leaped out of the furnace 
door and killed the mighty soldiers who carried them to the place of 
burning. 

Nebuchadnezzar sat in his royal chair near by, watching. He saw 
the flames leap out and burn the soldiers to death. He saw Shadrach, 
Meshach, and Abednego fall, bound hand and foot, into the fire. Then 
his eyes grew wide in surprize ; for he saw the three men who had dared 
to disobey his command rise up and walk about in the fire with no cords 
to hinder them. And another Person, one who looked to the astonished 
King like a god, was walking about with them in the furnace.! 

At first Nebuchadnezzar refused to believe his own eyes. He 
called to the nobles who stood near his chair and asked, “Did we not 














HOW GOD HUMBLED NEBUCHADNEZZAR ’Si HEART 347 

cast only three men into the fire?” and they replied, “True, 0 King.” 
“But now I see four men, unbound and walking freely about in the 
midst of the awful flame!” he cried out. “They seem to have no* hurt, 
and the fourth one is like a god.” 

Now Nebuchadnezzar rose from his royal chair in haste and ran to 
the door of the furnace. He called loudly to the three men and said, 
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the Most High 
God, come forth ! and come to me at once ! ’ ’ 

The princes and nobles and rulers of the kingdom gathered round 
in amazement to see these three men walk out of the fire and come be- 
fore Nebuchadnezzar. And they saw that the fire had not harmed these 
Jews at all. Not even had their hair beei^ singed by the flames, and 
the smell of fire was not noticed on their garments. But the stout cords 
that the soldiers had wrapped tightly around them before throwing 
them into the furnace had been burned to ashes. 

Nebuchadnezzar was no longer angry with Shadrach, Meshach, and 
Abednego. Now he believed they were great men, and he wished to 
honor them. He knew they served a great God, one who could do mira- 
cles, and he blessed the God of the Jews. He said to all the people, 
“Now I shall make another commandment, that no man in all my king- 
dom shall speak one word against the God of these brave men. ’ ’ And 
after this Nebuchadnezzar set these men up in higher places in his 
kingdom. 


STORY 5 

HOW GOD HUMBLED THE PROUD HEART 
OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR 

Daniel 4 

One night while Nebuchadnezzar lay asleep in his palace, God 
caused him to have another strange dream. This time wihen he awoke 
in the morning he remembered what the dream had been, and he won- 
dered about its meaning. So he sent again for the wise Chaldeans, and 
told them about the dream that was troubling his mind. 

The Chaldeans were glad because Nebuchadnezzar had remembered 
his dream ; but when they listened to it they could not tell its meaning. 
So the King sent them away and called for Daniel. He believed that 
the spirit of Daniel’s God dwelt in Daniel and caused him to under- 
stand the deepest mysteries. And he called Daniel the master of all 
his wise men. 


348 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Daniel listened while Nebuchadnezzar told the dream that w,as 
troubling him. Ahd God caused Daniel to understand what the dream 
meant. But at first he was afraid to tell the King. F or a whole hour 
he sat quietly, wondering what he should do. Then Nebuchadnezzar 
said, “Do not be afraid, nor let the dream or its meaning trouble you.'' 
So Daniel took courage and spoke kindly to the great ruler. 

Now, the dream had been this: Nebuchadnezzar had seen a tree 
grow up in the earth and become so great that the top of it reached to 
the sky. Underneath its branches all the beasts of the field found shel- 
ter, and in its leafy boughs all the birds of the ail} made their nests. 
And the people of the earth from near and far came to eat of its fruit. 
Then Nebuchadnezzar had seen the Lord come down from heaven and 
cry out: “Cut dowto the great tree; cut off its branches, shake off its 
leaves, and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get away from under the 
shadow of it, and let the dew come upon it for seven years. But let the 
stump of the great tree remain with its roots in the ground until the 
seven years be passed. Let this be, that all who live may know there 
is a God in heaven who rules over all the kingdoms of earth.’ ’ 

Daniel knew the dream was sent as a warning from God to the 
proud King. He knew Nebuchadnezzar was not willing to believe in 
the great God, who is over all. But he spoke bravely and said, 4 ‘ This 
great tree which you have seen means you, for you have become a great 
king and you are known in every part of the land. And the meaning 
of that voice which you heard crying out that the great tree should be 
cut down is that you shall lose your kingdom for seven years’ and go 
out from men to live among the beasts of the field. You shall eat grass 
like an ox, and the dew of heaven shall be upon you. Blut when you 
humble yourself and believe that the Most High God rules in the king- 
doms of earth, giving them to whomever he pleases, then you shall 
return again to live among men and be restored to your kingdom.” 

Daniel knew that God is very merciful, and he believed that God 
would save the King from such severe punishment if only the King 
would quit his sins and do right. So he urged Nebuchadnezzar to turn 
away from his wicked doings and begin to live differently. Then he 
went back to his own house. 

One year passed by, and nothing unusual happened. Perhaps Neb- 
uchadnezzar almost forgot the strange dream, at least he did not try 
to do as Daniel had urged him to do. He saw about him all the splen- 
dors of his kingdom and all the beauties of his palace grounds. He saw 
the famous city of Babylon, which he had helped to beautify, and his 
heart grew more proud and haughty. Then one day as he walked about 


HOW GOD HUMBLED NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S HEART 349 


in his kingly palace, admiring the grandeur of his surroundings, he 
said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for my own royal 
house by my own power and for my glory?” And while he spoke the 
words a voice called to him! from heaven, saying, “0 King Nebuchad- 
nezzar, to you it is spoken: The Kingdom is taken from you!” 



NEBUCHADNEZZAR IN THE FIELDS 


In that very hour the great King lost his mind and became like a 
wild beast. And the people were afraid of him, and they drove him out 
of the city. There he lived in the fields and ate grass like the oxen. 
And his hair grew like eagle’s feathers and his nails grew like claws. 
For seven years he roamed about in the fields, with a heart like a beast’s 
instead of a man’s. Then God allowed his mind to return again, and 
his heart to become like a man’s heart, and Nebuchadnezzar rose up 
like a man and thanked God for his mercies, and praised him for his 
greatness. 

When the people of Babylon saw that their King had returned again 


350 


BIBLE-STOKY BOOK 


to their city with the mind of a well man, they welcomed him back. And 
they honored him as their king just as they had done before. But Neb- 
uchadnezzar did not forget the lesson that God taught him, and he no 
longer believed that his greatness and his glory had come by his own 
strength. 


STOBY 6 

THE STRANGE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL OF THE PALACE 

Daniel 5 

A great feast was being held in the palace at Babylon. The king, 
Belshazzar, had invited a thousand princes and nobles to enjoy the 
feast with him and his many wives. And the palace was ringing with 
their voices and laughter and song. 

Presently, while they were drinking wine together, the King re- 
membered the beautiful vessels of gold that Nebuchadnezzar had 
brought from the temple of the Lord, in Jerusalem. He commanded 
his servants to bring the vessels into the palace, that he and his com- 
pany might drink wine from them. And the vessels were brought, and 
the King commanded that they be tilled with wine and passed among 
the guests. Then, as they drank from the golden vessels, they praised 
the gods of gold, and of silver, and of wood, and of stone. 

Belshazzar’s heart was merry, and he felt very secure and happy 
in his palace-home among his guests. He joined with them in praising 
the gods of gold, silver, wood, and stone. Then suddenly he turned 
pale, and the gladness died out of his heart. A great fear swept over 
him, and caused his knees ta tremble. 'For there on the wall of the 
palace, over near the candlestick, he saw the fingers of a man’s hand 
writing strange words, which he could not read. 

All at once everything grew quiet in 1 the banquet-hall. And every- 
body became afraid, for no one could understand the strange words 
that the hand had written. Then the Bing commanded that the wise 
Chaldeans be brought in at once ; for he thought they might be able to 
read the words and tell their meaning. He promised to give a rich 
reward to the one who could do this ; but none of the Chaldeans were 
able to earn that reward. They could not read the writing on the wall. 

News of the strange handwriting spread rapidly through the pal- 
ace, and soon the old Queen Mother heard about it. She heard, too, that 
the wise men could not read the writing nor tell its meaning. So she 
came into the banquet-hall, where the King sat trembling among his 


THE STRANGE: HANDWRITING ON THE WALL 351 



THE STRANGE HANDWRITING ON THE PALACE WALL 



352 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


frightened guests. And she said, “0 King, there is in this city a very 
wise man wihom you have quite forgotten. In the days of Nebuchad- 
nezzar, the king, this man was the master of all the king’s wise men, 
for the spirit of the gods dwells in him. Now send for him, and he will 
tell you the meaning of this strange handwriting on the wlall.” 

Daniel was now an old man. For a long time he had lived quietly 
in Babylon, for the kings who followed Nebuchadnezzar had not set 
him up to places of honor in the kingdom. And he was almost for- 
gotten. The Queen Mother, however, remembered how he had inter r 
preted the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar, and she knew that his wisdom 
was greater than any of the wisdom of the Chaldeans. 

Belshazzar sent in haste for Daniel, and w[hen the old man came 
before him he asked, excitedly, “Are you that Daniel whom my fathers 
brought out of the land of the Jews?” Daniel replied that he was, and 
the King said, ‘ ‘ I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods dwells 
with you and enables you to understand deep mysteries. Now if you 
can read the writing upon the wall and tell its meaning, I will cause you 
to be dressed in royal garments, and will make you the third ruler in 
this kingdom.” 

Daniel did not care for the honors of the Babylonian kingdom. 
He did not care for the beautiful, kingly robes, and he told the King 
to give those gifts to some one else. But he said, “I will read the writ- 
ing, and will cause you to understand its meaning.” 

First Daniel reminded Belshazzar of great punishment that God 
had sent upon Nebuchadnezzar because of his wickedness and pride. 
Belshazzar had known about this, yet he had dared to be proud and to 
despise the God of heaven and earth. He had dared to use the vessels 
that belonged in the Lord’s house, in Jerusalem, for drinking wine, and 
he and his guests had praised the gods of gold and of silver and of wood 
and of stone, which can not see nor hear. Daniel told Belshazzar about 
these things, and then he said, ‘ 4 Because you did these things, God sent 
this hand to write upon the wall of your banquet-room, that you might 
see it and become afraid. The words that this hand ha$ written are 
Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin, and they mean this: 

“Mene; God has numbered your kingdom and finished it. 

“Tekel; you are weighed in the balances and found wanting. 

“Upharsin; your kingdom is divided, and is given to the Medes 
and Persians.” 

Belshazzar commanded his servants to bring a royal garment and 
put it on Daniel, then he fastened a gold chain about Daniel’s neck and 
proclaimed before all the guests that Daniel was the third ruler in the 


DANIEL IN THE LIONS’ DEN 


353 



THE MEN WATCHING DANIEL PRAY 







354 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


kingdom. But that very night the kingdom of Babylon was destroyed; 
for the Medes and Persians came into the city and killed Belshazzar, 
and placed the Median king Darius upon the throne. 


STORY 7 

DANIEL IN THE LIONS’ DEN 

Daniel 6 

King Darius, the new ruler, chose one hundred and twenty princes 
to help him 1 govern the people of his great kingdom. Over these princes 
he appointed three presidents, and because he found that Daniel was 
a very wise old man he made Daniel the first president. So Daniel was 
more highly honored than any of the princes or other presidents. 

A hitter feeling of jealousy began to stir in the hearts of these 
princes and presidents. They hated Daniel because the King had hon- 
ored him so greatly. They decided to watch him carefully, and find 
fault with him at their first opportunity. But their careful watching 
only revealed to them the fact that Daniel was a very faithful man, 
with no faults that might displease the King. 

Their careful watching revealed another fact, too ; and this one was 
that Daniel was deeply religious. Often they saw him kneel before his 
open window and pray to his God. He never seemed too busy to take 
time to pray. 

At last the men confessed among themselves that they could find 
no fault with Daniel. But they planned another way to rob him of his 
great honor. A cruel way, it was, but they were wicked men and they 
did not mind at all. 

Darius was surprized to see the great company of his princes as- 
semble before him. He did not notice that Daniel was not among them. 
He did not guess that they were plotting against his faithful servant. 
So he permitted them to tell the purpose that had brought them to his 
palace, and they said, “King Darius, live forever. All the presidents 
of the kingdom, and the princes, the governors, the counselors, and the 
captains have planned to establish a royal law and to make it very 
binding. This is the law: That whoever shall ask a request of any god 
or man for thirty days, except of you, 0 King, he shall be cast into a 
den of lions.” 

Now the trut h was, that .all -the presidents- of the kingdom had not 
helped to plan that law, for Daniel had no part in it. But the King 


DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEiN 


355 


did not know. And because he was a heathen king, with a proud heart, 
he felt flattered to hear the law. So he readily consented to it, and he 
caused it to become published among all the people. 

Of course Daniel heard about the law. But three times every day 
Daniel knelt, just as he had done before, and prayed by his opened win- 
dow with his face toward Jerusalem, the city where God's house used 
to stand. And there these men found him on his knees thanking God. 

Now they were sure they should soon be rid of this good man whom 
they despised. So they came to tell the King how Daniel had dared 
to disobey the new law. They reminded the King that the lawte he made 
could not be changed, and Daniel would have to be punished for his 
disobedience. 

Darius understood, when too late, why this law had been made. 
He knew the presidents and princes had not desired to honor him, but 
only to rid themselves of the one whom they hated. And Darius was 
sorry, very sorry, that he had listened to the flattering words of these 
wicked men. All day long he tried 
to think of some way in which to 
spare Daniel from such a cruel 
fate ; all day long he worked hard, 
studying the laws of his country 
and hoping to find something that 
would release him from enforcing 
such a punishment upon his faith- 
ful servant. But finally the sun 
went down, and the presidents and 
princes came impatiently to the 
palace and told the King that his 
new law must be obeyed. And Da- 
rius feared to try longer to save 
Daniel, so he told them to bring 
him out and cast him into the lions ' 
den. 

The King told Daniel how sor- 
ry he was to see this dreadful pun- daniel among the hungry lions 
ishment brought upon him. And he 

said, “The God whom you serve so faithfully surely will deliver you 
from the lions." Then he saw Daniel thrown into the den, and he saw 
the wicked men lay the heavy stone upon the mouth of the den, making 
Daniel a prisoner inside among the savage beasts. Afterwards, ac- 
cording to the law of his country, he put his own seal upon the great 




356 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


stone, so that no one would dare to remove it without the King’s com- 
mand. Then, with! a heavy heart, he went back to his palace. 

All that night long Darius could not sleep. He was too< troubled 
to enjoy any kind of entertainment, for he thought constantly about 
his faithful servant in that terrible den. He longed for the morning 
light, and with the first break of dawn he rose up from his bed and ran 
quickly to the lions’ den. Then, in a troubled, anxious voice, he cried 
out, ‘ ‘ 0 Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God whom you have 
served so faithfully able to save you from the lions'?” 

Then the King listened, and soon he heard an answering voice from 
the deep pit, saying, “0 King, live forever. My God has sent his an- 
gel, and the angel has shut the mouths of these savage beasts, and they 
have done me no harm at all. For God has seen that I was not guilty 
of any wrong-doing before him nor even before you.” 

Darius was very glad, and lie called his servants to 1 come and take 
Daniel up out of the den. Then he commanded that the wicked men be 
brought who had planned to get rid of Daniel, and he told i his servants 
to cast, them into the den of lions where Daniel had been all the long 
night. When they fell, screaming, into the deep pit, the lions rushed 
upon them and tore them in pieces, for they were not worthy to live. 

Darius wrote letters to> the people of every nation, telling them 
about the wonderful way in which God had delivered Daniel from the 
lions. And he made a law that all the people in his great kingdom 
should fear the God of the Jews. 


STORY 8 

DANIEL’S ANGEL VISITOR 

Dan. 8:1-12:13 

Daniel had lived many years in the beautiful capital cities of the 
eastern kings, and he had helped these kings rule the people. But dur- 
ing those many years (for he was now old) he had never forgotten his 
childhood home in Jerusalem nor the temple of the Lord, which Neb- 
uchadnezzar and his soldiers had destroyed. 

Daniel had read the letters that Jeremiah the prophet had written 
to the captive Jewte in Babylon, and he knew Jeremiah had prophesied 
that the Jews might return again to their own land after seventy years. 
And now, when he was an old man, Daniel knew the seventy years would 


DANIEL’S ANGEL VISITOR 


357 


soon be passed, and he longed to see liis people return again and rebuild 
the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. 

Instead of praying three times every day for himself and for his 
people, now Daniel sometimes prayed all day long. Sometimes he re- 
fused to eat his food because he wished to have more time toi spend 
alone, talking with God. And he even dressed himself in sackcloth 
and sat in ashes when he prayed, to show God that he was very sorry 
for his sins and for the sins of his people. 

And Daniel’s earnest prayers were heard. One evening while he 
was praying an angel came to talk with him. This angel had come one 
time before, when God had caused Daniel to see a wonderful vision; 
but. this time the angel came to comfort Daniel. He said, “0 Daniel, 
you are a man greatly loved by the Lord, and you shall knowl what 
shall come to pass in after years.” And the angel told Daniel about 
the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ, who should suffer and die for 
the sins of the people. 

Daniel, after he became a very old man, continued to do business 
for the King. And when Darius died, the new King, Cyrus, took Daniel 
to his capital city in Persia and kept him there for a helper. And Daniel 
continued to pray earnestly even while he did business for the new 
King. 

One day during the rule of King Cyrus, Daniel and several coim 
panions were by the riverside when all at once Daniel saw a heavenly 
visitor stand before him. The face of this heavenly visitor shone like 
lightning and his eyes like fire. Even his arms and his feet shone like 
polished brass. Daniel could not look upon him, and fell to the ground. 
The men who were with Daniel did not see the heavenly visitor, but 
they felt the earth trembling beneath their feet and they ran away 
in fear. 

As Daniel lay on the ground like one dead, the angel came and 
touched him. Then Daniel rose up on his knees, and the angel spoke. 
And his voice sounded like a multitude of voices. At first Daniel could 
not answer, for he had no power of speech left in him. But the angel 
touched his lips and caused strength to return into his body. And 
Daniel talked long with his heavenly visitor. And all these things he 
afterwards wrote in a book. 

Daniel was one of the greatest prophets, as well as a great man 
in the country vdiere he lived. By his courage and trueness to God he 
caused several heathen kings to respect the religion of the Jews, and 
he lived to see the time when King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return 
again to Judah. 


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STORY 9 

THE HOME-COMING OF THE JEWS 

Ezra 1:1-3: 7. 

A great company of people were gathering in the valley along the 
Euphrates River, preparing to start on a long journey. There were 
old people, and young people, and even little boys and girls. These 
people were the Jews, and they were arranging soon to start back to 
the land of their fathers— Judah. For Cyrus, the new king, had sent 
this message to the Jews scattered everywhere throughout his kingdom: 
‘ ‘ The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of earth ; and 
he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 
Now who is there among his people— the Jews— who will go up to 
Jerusalem and build this house for God?” 

Daniel was too old to return on this long journey to Jerusalem. 
And perhaps the King Would have been unwilling to spare this great 
man from his work. But there were others, many others, who were 
just as eager as Daniel to see the temple of the Lord rebuilt. And 
one of these persons was Zerubbabel, a brave young man who belonged 
to the family of David. He became the leader of the people who re- 
turned to Jerusalem, but he ruled as a prince under the command of 
King Cyrus; for the throne of David was not restored in Jerusalem 
again. 

When the long journey began, the people moved slowly up the 
highway that led northward from Babylon, the same highway over 
which some of them had traveled seventy years before. Many of them 
walked, but some rode on horses, others on camels or donkeys. Now 
they were singing songs of joy, and they were carrying their beautiful 
harps back to their own land. There they would be glad and there 
they wiould play sweet music iu the new house of the Lord which Cyrus 
had commanded them to build. 

Cyrus had given them the vessels of gold and of silver which Neb- 
uchadnezzar had stolen from the temple before he set it on fire, and 
they were taking those vessels back to be used in the new temple. 
And Cyrus had commanded their neighbors and friends to give them 
rich gifts of gold and of silver. So they were well laden for their 
journey. 

Not all the Jews returned to Jerusalem; for many were becoming 
rich in their new homes, and they did not care to go back to Judah. 
But they sent precious gifts to help in the building of the new temple. 


HOW THE NEW TEMPLE WAS BUILT IN JERUSALEM 359 

And they were glad because some of their own people were returning 
to build up the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. 

When at last the long journey was nearing its end, the people 
came in sight of the crumbled walls of Jerusalem. Some of them re- 
membered how the city looked before' it had been destroyed by Neb- 
uchadnezzar, and their hearts were filled with sadness. But many of 
them had never seen Jerusalem, for they had been born in the land 
of captivity. They had heard their parents tell about the land which 
God had given to them long ago, and which he had allowed King Neb- 
uchadnezzar to take away from them because they had worshiped idols. 
And they were glad to come back and build homes in that land which 
Nebuchadnezzar had taken away from them. 

In the ruins of Jerusalem the people found the place where the 
temple of the Lord used to stand. They found the rock where the altar 
of the Lord had been built. And here the priests and the Levites 
cleared away the rubbish and gathered stones to build a new altar. 
Then they began again to offer sacrifices to God each morning and 
each evening, just as the law of Moses commanded them to do. 


STORY 10 

HOW THE NEW TEMPLE WAS BUILT IN JERUSALEM 

Ezra 3:7—6:22; Haggai 1,> 2 

When Zerubbabel and his company came to Jerusalem they did not 
begin at once to rebuild the temple of the Lord. Winter was coming 
on, and first they built houses for themselves. But at the return of 
springtime they set to work at the great task that had brought them 
back to Judah. 

Zerubbabel and Jeshua, the high priest, hired carpenters and 
masons for the new building, and put to work every man among their 
number who was twenty years old or more. Again they sent to the 
Lebanon Mountains for wood to use in the building, for Cyrus the king 
had given them permission to do this. 

When everything was ready, the workers laid the foundation of 
the new temple. And the priests and Levites and singers stood ready 
with their trumpets and musical instruments to worship the Lord. They 
sang together, giving praise to God. And all the people stood near by, 
rejoicing because the great work was so well begun. They shouted 
with a loud noise. But some among them had seen the temple which 


360 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Solomon had built, and when they saw the foundation of this new 
building they remembered how beautiful the first temple had been. 
Instead of shouting with joy they wept for sorrow. 

There were strangers living in the country places near Jerusalem 
who w 1 ere not Jews. When they saw the work that the Jews had com- 
menced at Jerusalem, they asked permission to help in the building 
of the temple; they said, 4 4 We seek your God, as you do.” But Zerub- 



BUILDING THE NEW TEMPLE 

babel and Jeshua, the high priest, knew these men did not worship 
God in the right way, and they would not accept help from them. 

These strangers were Samaritans, the people who came to live in 
Israel after the northern tribes were carried away into captivity. These 
were the people who had a mixed religion— a mixture of the true re- 
ligion and idol-worship. When Zerubbabel and Jeshua refused to let 
them help build the temple they grew angry and tried to hinder the 
work. They sent letters back to the king of Persia, accusing the Jews 




HOW THE NEW TEMPLE WAS BUILT IN JERUSALEM 361 


of falsehoods, and they continued to do this for a long time. Finally 
they caused the building of the temple to come to a standstill. 

Several years passed by, and the Jews were not allowed to finish 
the temple. So they built comfortable homes for themselves and began 
to work in the fields near Jerusalem. 

Finally God caused the new) king of Persia, another king named 
Darius, to be friendly toward the Jews. B'ut the Jews did not ask him 
to help them. They did not try to finish the work which they had begun 
on the temple. So God sent a prophet, named Haggai, to urge them 
to get at work again on the temple. Another prophet also the Lord 
sent, and his name was Zechariah. This prophet said that Zerubbabel 
had begun the new temple, and he should finish the building of it. 

So Zerubbabel and Jeshua took courage and began once more on 
the temple-building. When they commenced work the Samaritans 
came down to see what they were doing. They asked, i 1 Who has given 
you orders to do this?” And they answered, “ Gyrus, the king of 
Persia, commanded us to build this house of God.” The Samaritans 
did not believe their words, and they wrote a letter to King Darius, 
telling what the Jews had said. But when Darius looked in the records 
that had been kept during the rule of Cyrus he found that Cyrus had 
indeed commanded the Jews to rebuild the temple. So he sent Word 
back to the Samaritans, telling them not to hinder the Jews, but rather 
to give them money to help hurry on the great work which Cyrus had 
commanded them to do. And he said that if they refused to obey his 
words their own houses should be torn down and they should be killed. 
This message caused the Samaritans to become afraid, and they ceased 
to hinder the Jews. 

When the temple was finally completed, the Jews held a great 
feast, and they offered many sacrifices to the Lord. They rejoiced very 
much because God had given them a friend in the new king of Persia, 
and had helped them to overcome the wicked plans of their neighbors, 
the Samaritans. 


362 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 11 

THE BEAUTIFUL GIRL WHO BECAME A QUEEN 

Esther 1, 2 

Beauty that shines in the face alone 
Not long may sit on a queenly throne; 

For beauty of heart in the life must be seen 
Before there can be a beautiful queen. 

Esther, the Jewess, was only a little girl when both her parents 
died and she went to live in the home of her cousin, Mordecai. Her 
new home was in the great city of Shushan, where the King of Persia 
lived. Her cousin, Mordecai, had an office in the household of the 
king. He was very kind to Esther, and loved her as his own child. 

After Esther grew up to young womanhood the King of Persia 
made a great feast in his palace. He invited all the nobles and rulers 
of his kingdom. Then, at the last of the feast he invited all the men 
of Shushan, both great and small, to come to the palace and share in 
his entertainment. Perhaps Mordecai was there, too. 

Women in that country always wore veils over their faces when in 
the presence of men other than their own husbands, and they could not 
attend the same feasts with them. So the Queen, Vashti, gave a feast 
to the women at the same time as the King’s feast to the men. 

On the last day of the feast, which continued for a whole week, 
the King grew very reckless because he had drunk much wine. And he 
wished to see his beautiful wife, the Queen. He wished that all the 
people attending his feast might see how beautiful she was. So he 
sent some of his servants to bring her into his part of the royal palace, 
where all the guests could behold her beauty. 

But Vashti, the Queen, refused to appear in the presence of all 
the men of Shushan. And she told the King’s servants that she would 
not come. She believed that the King’s request was unwise because it 
was contrary to the customs of her people. 

King Ahasuerus was very angry when the servants returned alone 
and told him that Vashti would not come with them. He called his 
wise mien and asked what should be done with Vashti, the Queen, who 
had dared to disobey him. And one of the wise men said, “The Queen 
has done wrong, not only to you, 0 King, but also to the princes* and to 
all the people who dwiell in your kingdom. For when this deed becomes 
known, the women everywhere will no longer respect their husbands as 


THE BEAUTIFUL GIRL WHO BECAME A QUEEN 363 

they should. Therefore let her be queen no longer, but choose another 
who is better than she to take her place.” 

This advice pleased Ahasuerus, and he refused to let Vashti come 
into his presence again. He refused to let her be queen any longer, 
and decided to choose another beautiful young woman to become queen 
in her stead. So he sent commands through all his kingdom that the 
most beautiful young women should be brought to his palace, where 



ESTHER, THE BEAUTIFUL QUEEN 


lie might choose among them the one who would please him best. This 
one he would make queen instead of Vashti. 

Mordeeai knew that Esther was a beautiful young woman, and 
he believed she would make a beautiful queen. So he sent her to the 
palace with the other young women who came from different parts 
of the kingdom. And there she was taught the manners of the court- 
life, so she would know how to please the King. But Mordeeai told 
her not to let the fact become known that her people were the Jews. 



364 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


After living in the palace for some time, Esther was brought be- 
fore the King; and she pleased him so much that he chose her at once 
to become the queen instead of Vashti. 

He placed the royal crown of Persia upon her head, and gave her 
rooms in his palace and many servants to attend her. Then he made 
a great feast for his princes and nobles, called Esther’s feast, and he 
published the fact that Esther had been chosen as the new queen. 

Mordecai could no longer see the young woman whom he had cared 
for as tenderly as his own daughter. But every day he passed by the 
palace where she lived, and she could see him from her window. She 
would send messages to him by her faithful servants, and they would 
bring back the messages Mordecai wished her to receive. Then Mor- 
decai would return to the king’s gate and sit there as a watchman. 

While sitting in the gate, Mordecai saw two servants of the Ring 
who whispered together about some secret matter. He watched closely 
and learned that they were angry with the King and were planning 
to kill him. So hei sent word to the King by Queen Esther, and she 
gave the warning in Mordecai ’s name. The King investigated the mat- 
ter, and found that the men were guilty, so he put them to death. Then 
the warning of Mordecai, and how he had saved the King’s life, was 
written in a book. But the King forgot about Mordecai ’s kindness to 
him, and did not promote him in the kingdom. He did not know that 
Mordecai, the Jew, was a relative of the beautiful young woman who 
wore the royal crown. 


STORY 12 

WHY A PROUD MAN PLANNED TO DESTROY ALL THE JEWS 

Esther 3 : 1—4 : 3 

Among the princes at the royal palace in Shushan was a proud 
man named Hainan. He was very rich, and clever, and he knew how 
to behave in the most pleasing manner whenever he appeared before 
the King. So the Ring honored Hainan above all the princes, and com- 
manded all his servants to pay respect to this proud man. 

Among the King’s servants who sat in the gate of the palace was 
Mordecai, the Jew. And whenever Hainan passed through the gate 
the King’s servants were supposed to bow down before him, with their 
faces in the dust. And they all did so except Mordecai. He would not 
bow down before any man to give him the honor that belonged to God 
only. 


WHY A MAN PLANNED TO DESTROY ALL THE JEWS 365 

The King’s servants were not pleased when they saw that Mor- 
decai refused to how down before the honored prince. They asked 
him why he dared to disobey the command of the King. And Mordecai 
told them that he was a Jew; and doubtless he told them that the Jews 
worshiped God only and would not reverence a man as if he were a 
god. Then the servants hurried to tell Hainan of Mordecai ’s unwill- 
ingness to bow before him. 

Hainan’s pride was deeply wounded when he heard that Mordecai, 
the Jew, refused to give him honor. He became very angry, and deter- 
mined to* punish Mordecai. But he thought that because he was such 
a great man it would look petty to punish only one Jew ; he must resort 
to some great form of punishment. So he planned to kill all the Jews. 
He did not know that Esther, the beautiful queen whom the King loved, 
was a Jewess. 

Now Hainan helped to rule in the great kingdom of Persia, and he 
often came before the King. He thought it would be an easy matter 
to get the King’s consent to have the Jews killed. And he planned 
carefully, that Ahasuerus might not know he was angry with the Jews 
because Mordecai would not bow before him. Then he came to the 
King and said, “O King, there is a certain people scattered through- 
out your countries whose laws are contrary to your laws and they 
refuse to obey you. They are different from other people and they 
are unprofitable to our kingdom, therefore if it please you, let a law be 
made that those people be destroyed. And I myself will pay the money 
to hire soldiers to kill them.” 

Ahasuerus did not knowl much about the Jews nor their strange 
religion. He did not know that his beautiful queen was a Jewess. And 
he supposed that Haman, his great prince, knew all about the people 
who were so unprofitable to- his kingdom, so he told Haman to do just 
as he pleased about the matter. And he allowed Haman to write let- 
ters to the rulers in every part of the kingdom, telling them that on a 
certain day they should destroy all the Jews in their part of the coun- 
try, every man, woman, and child. 

After the letters were written, Hainan gave them to postmen, who 
carried them to every part of the kingdom. Then he believed he had 
done a great deed that would bring him much honor, and he went to 
the palace to dine with the King. He felt that no one in all the realm 
of Persia was quite so important as himself, for even the King allowed 
him to do just as he pleased. 

Soon the news of this letter reached the ears of the J ews m every 
part of the. land. And they wondered why Ahasuerus had suddenly 


366 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK' 


become so displeased with them. They had always lived peacefully 
among his people, and had never given him any trouble. They had 
worked at honest toil and many of them had become very rich. Now 
they were to be destroyed and their riches were to be seized by wicked 
men. They could not understand why this cruel law had been passed 
against them. And everywhere they wept with loud cries, tearing 
their clothes and dressing themselves in sackcloth. Many of them sat 
in ashes, and mourned and fasted and prayed. 

Mordecai was among the first of the Jews to hear about the cruel 
law; for he lived in the city of Shushan. And he knew at once that 
Haman had made the law. He knew that even Esther would have to 
suffer death if the law were obeyed, for every Jew was to be destroyed. 
And his grief was very great. Tearing his garments, he wrapped him- 
self in sackcloth and threw ashes upon his body. Then he went out into 
the streets and cried with a loud and bitter cry. But he did not dare 
to pass through the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the 
gate when dressed in sackcloth. And he could not come near the pal- 
ace to send a message to the Queen. He hoped that Esther might 
hear about him, and send a messenger to learn why he was so deeply 
troubled. Then he would tell her all about the cruel law, and then per- 
haps she could think of some way to help them and save their lives. 


STORY 13 

HOW QUEEN ESTHER SAVED THE LIVES OF HER PEOPLE 

Esther 4:4-10:3 

Esther was happy in her beautiful palace-home. She was kind to 
her servants, and they liked to obey her. But she ; did not forget how 
Mordecai had taken her into his own home when she was a poor little 
orphan. And every day she watched from her window to see him 
pass by, and always she was eager to receive the messages that he 
sent. She still obeyed him just as cheerfully as when she had been a 
little girl in his own humble home. 

But one day Mordecai did not pass by as usual. And Esther missed 
him. Perhaps she thought he might be sick. But soon her servants 
came to tell her that he was walking through the streets of the city, 
dressed in sackcloth and crying with a loud and bitter cry. “What 
has happened J” wondered the Queen, as she hurriedly gathered some 


HOW ESTHER SAVED THE LIVES OF HER PEOPLE 367 


new clothes to send to him. How she longed to run out to comfort 
him, herself! But now she was the queen, and now she could not go 
about in the streets. Perhaps she wished that she were not the queen, 
after all. 

As she sat watching anxiously from her window, soon she saw the 
servant returning with the clothes she had sent. Mordecai would not 
take them, and Esther knew that some terrible sorrow had come into 
his life. So she quickly called another servant, one of the King’s serv- 
ants who sometimes waited on her, and told him to learn from Mordecai 
the cause of his intense grief. 

Mordecai told this servant about all that had happened to him, 
how Hainan had planned to kill all the Jews and had even promised to 
give money to the King for this cruel purpose. He gave the servant 
a copy of the letter that Hainan had written, and the servant brought 
the letter to Esther. He told Esther, too, that Mordecai had com- 
manded her to speak to the King and tell him that she was a Jew, and 
that Hainan had planned to kill her and all her people. 

At first Esther was afraid to go to the King. She knew the law 
of the palace : that any one, either a man or a woman, who should ap- 
proach the throne without being called by the king would be put to 
death unless the king should hold out to that person the golden scepter. 
And she feared to take such a risk; for the King had not called for 
her in many days, and she supposed he was attending to important 
matters and did not wish to be disturbed. She sent her servant back 
to Mordecai to tell him that she dared not go into the presence of the 
King without being called by him. 

Mordecai believed that God had permitted Esther to become queen 
on purpose, so that she might at this time save the lives of her people. 
So he sent word again, telling Esther that she must go, for if she re- 
fused she would be sparing her life at that time only to lose it later, 
when all the Jews in Shushan should be destroyed. 

Esther still was fearful to obey the wishes of Mordecai; but she 
longed to help her people, and she promised to try. She commanded 
Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Shushan into one place, and there, 
to fast and pray for three days that God would give her favor in the 
eves of the King. She and her servants would also fast during that 
time, and then if Ahasuerus had not yet called for her she would go 
to him, contrary to the law of the palace, and plead for her life and 
for the lives of her people. 

Mordecai hastily called all the Jews in Shushan and told them of 
Esther’s words. And they fasted and prayed as she had commanded. 


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Then, on the third day she dressed in her most beautiful garments and 
went in to speak to the King. 

Ahasuerus was surprized to see the Queen standing timidly in the 
court before his throne. He knew some urgent matter had brought her 
there, and because he loved her he held out to her the golden scepter, 
which was in his hand. Then she came near to his throne and touched 
the scepter, and he asked, ‘ 4 What is your request, Queen Esther? it 
shall be given! to you though it should be the half of my kingdom. ’ ’ 

Esther did not tell him at once about the great sorrow that clouded 
her life, but she requested him and his friend Hamjan to dine with her 
that day. And the King promised to come. Then she went away, and 
Ahasuerus sent word to Haman, telling him of the Queen’s invitation 
to dinner. 

Haman felt highly honored because he was the only guest invited 
to eat with the King and the Queen*. But Ahasuerus guessed that Esther 
had some greater request to make of him, so again he asked, “What 
is your wish, my queen?” And again Esther answered simply, “If 
I have found favor in your eyes, 0 King, my request is that you and 
Haman shall return tomorrow and dine with me as you have done to- 
day. Then I shall tell you what is my greatest wish. ’ ’ And the King 
promised that they would come. 

After the banquet Haman hurried home to tell his wife and his 
friends about the great honor that Queen Esther had shown to him. 
But as he passed through the king’s gate he saw Mordecai sitting there 
and refusing to bow before him as the other servants were bowing. 
This spoiled all of Haman ’s gladness of heart. How he despised that 
Jew! He longed to be rid of Mordecai ’s presence in the king’s gate, 
and he told his wife and his friends how greatly Mordecai ’s presence 
annoyed him. He boasted loudly to them of the honors both the King 
and the Queen were bestowing upon him, but he complained about the 
contenrqit this humble Jew, Mordecai, had shown. 

Hainan’s wife and his friends urged him to prepare a high gal- 
lows and ask permission of the King to hang Mordecai. Then he might 
enjoy fully the honors that were being shown by every one else except 
by this much-despised Jew. Hainan thought their advice sounded 
good, and he set to work at once to have a gallows built. 

That night Ahasuerus, the King, could not sleep. As he tossed 
restlessly about on his soft pillowte he commanded his servants to 
bring the book of records and read to him about the things that had 
happened since'he had been the ruler of Persia. And among the other 
things he heard them read from the book was Mordecai ’s report of the 


HOW ESTHER SAVED THE LIVES OF HER PEOPLE 369 


evil plans of two servants who intended to kill the King. “Has any 
honor been shown to Mordecai for that kindness done to me?” asked 
Ahasuerus. And the servants answered, “Nothing has been done for 
him.” 

Haman rose early the next morning and went to the palace, in- 
tending to ask the King’s permission to hang Mordecai on the gal- 
lows he had made. But just as he entered the court of the palace, 
Ahasuerus sent for him. And he came in proudly, wondering what 
service he could perform to please his ruler. “What shall be done to 
the man whom the King delights to honor?” asked Ahasuerus of Ha- 



man. And Haman thought quickly, “Whom would the King delight 
to honor more than me?” so, believing that the honor would be shown 
to him, he answered, “Let that man whom the King delights to honor 
be dressed in the King’s royal garments, and let him ride upon the 
King’s horse, with the King’s crown upon his head. Let one of the 
most noble princes place the royal garment upon this man, and the 
crown upon his head, and let that prince bring him on horseback 
through the streets of the city and cry out before him that all may 
hear, ‘This is done to the man whom the King delights to honor.’ ” 


370 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


The King was pleased with Hainan’s answer, and he said, “Yon 
are my noble prince, so I command yon to take my royal garment and 
my crown, and hasten to dress Mordecai in them. Then put him on 
my horse and lead him through the city, proclaiming before him the 
words that you have spoken. See that you do everything as you have 
advised should be done to the man whom I delight to honor.” 

Now Hainan was frightened, but he dared not disobey the King’s 
command. He took the garments, dressed Mordecai, the Jew, in them, 
and led him on horseback through the city streets, crying out, 4 ‘This 
is done to the man whom the King delights! to honor!” Then he re- 
turned with Mordecai to the palace, and brought back the royal gar- 
ments to the King. Afterwards he ran home, covering his head in 
shame and sorrow, for he dared not speak to the King about the mat- 
ter that had brought him to the palace at the early morning hour. And 
his wife and friends heard his story, and feared that greater troubles 
might soon befall him if the King was showing favor to the despised 
Jew. 

Hainan had forgotten about his invitation toi dine again with the 
King and Queen. So the King sent a messenger to bring him to the 
palace. And then, as they sat about the table the King asked Esther 
the third time what her wish was, that she desired of him. And the 
third time he promised to grant that wish even though it should be 
the half of his kingdom. 

How Esther was ready to tell her story. She may have heard that 
very morning how highly the King honored Mordecai; for she spoke 
with courage and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O King, 
and if it please you, I ask that my life and the lives of my people may 
be spared, for we have been sold— not to become slaves, but to be 
killed.” 

Ahasuerus was surprized to hear these words. He asked, “Who 
is he, and where is he, who would dare to do such a thing? ’ ’ And Esther 
answered, ‘ ‘ That enemy is this wicked Haman. ’ ’ 

Now Haman was frightened, and he did not know what to do. 
He had never guessed that the beautiful Queen was a Jewess. He did 
not know, even yet, that she had been brought up by Mordecai, the man 
whom he so much despised. Speechless he sat before them, and when 
he saw the King rise up in anger and leave the room, he sprang from 
his seat and fell before Esther, begging for mercy from her. 

The King walked about in the garden, wondering what he should 
do to punish Haman. Then he returned and found Haman pleading 
for his life. But his pleading could profit him nothing, for the King’s 


EZRA, WHO TAUGHT GOD’S LAW TO THE JEWS 371 


servants came in and covered his face, ready for death. Then they led 
him out, and one of the servants showed the Bing the high gallows 
that Haman had prepared to hang Mordecai. 4 ‘Hang Hainan on the 
gallows!” commanded the King, and Haman was hung on the gal- 
lows he had commanded others to build) for an innocent man. 

After Haman ’s death, the King raised Mordecai to a place of great 
honor in the kingdom, and he sent letters to every part of the land 
where Haman ’s letters had gone, telling the Jews to fight for their 
own lives on that day appointed when Hainan had wished to put them 
to death. Because their enemies feared them, they did not try to kill 
the Jews on that day, for even the rulers of those 1 lands helped the 
Jews. And the Jews celebrated the day of their great victory with 
a great feast, called the Feast of Purim. Even today the Jews keep 
this feast, and they always tell the story of Esther, the beautiful queen, 
who saved the lives of her people. 


STORY 14 

EZRA THE GOOD MAN WHO TAUGHT GOD’S LAW TO 
THE JEWS 

Ezra 7—10; Nehemiah 8 

Years passed by, and another change came in the Persian rule. 
A new king, named Artaxerxes, sat on the throne in Shushan and gov- 
erned the people in many lands. His kingdom included the land of 
Judah, where Zerubbabel had gone long before with a company of 
Jews to rebuild the temple of the Lord. 

Now Artaxerxes wished to know how things were going in Judah, 
and he planned to send a messenger to Jerusalem to learn about the 
people and their needs. The messenger Whom he chose to send was 
Ezra, the priest. 

Ezra, was an earnest-hearted Jew, as Daniel had been. He was also 
called a scribe, because he wrote the words of God in books. And he 
longed to teach the Jews everywhere about the law of God, Which had 
been given by Moses to the Israelites. At the King’s command he as- 
sembled other Jews from Babylon and from the country places and 
cities near by who wished to go to Judah and help strengthen the cour- 
age of the poor Jews who lived there. 

Ezra had talked much to the King about the true God, and about 
his great power and his willingness to care for those who love and 


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serve him. And the King was interested. He believed that the God 
of the Jews must be a very powerful God indeed. He feared to dis- 
please such a great God, so he commanded that much gold and silver 
be given to Ezra and his companions to carry back to Jerusalem and 
use in the temple of the Lord. 

When Ezra and his companions were ready to start on their long - 
journey, they first spent some time fasting and praying God to bless 
them and protect them from the many dangers along their way. For 
the road over which they must travel led through dangerous places, and 
wild people of the desert often stopped travelers and robbed them of 
their possessions. Ezra knew this, and he had no soldiers of the king 
to go with him and protect him and his companions from the attack of 
robber bands. He was ashamed to ask the King for soldiers because 
he had told the King that God would care for those who served him* 
So he and his companions prayed earnestly that God would bring them 
through the dangers without letting any harm befall them. Then they 
started down the long, long road. 

After about four months of travel, this company of Jews reached 
Judah in safety. They had lost nothing by the way, for God had heard 
their prayers and had cared for them. And they came with joy to the 
city where the temple of the Lord stood, just as Zerubbabel had built it. 
After resting for three days they brought their gifts of silver and gold, 
which the King had sent, and gave them to the priests who had charge 
of the temple. 

Ezra soon found out that things had not been going well in Judah. 
The poor Jews had become much discouraged, and some of them had 
made friends with their heathen neighbors. They had even allowed 
their sons and their daughters to marry heathen people, and they were 
not teaching their children to keep the law as God gave it to Moses. 
They had never rebuilt the city of Jerusalem, and the walls lay in ruins 
just as Nebuchadnezzar and his army had left them long years before. 

When Ezra learned about the condition of the poor Jewis, he was 
deeply troubled. He knew they had sinned again by marrying heathen 
women, and he saw that God could never bless them while they were not 
obeying his law. So he prayed earnestly that God would forgive their 
sins, and he called them to Jerusalem to warn them about the wrong 
that they had done. 

The people were glad to have Ezra teach them what to do. They 
needed a teacher from God, like this good man, and they listened to his 
words. For a long time they had been without God’s law, and now, 
when they heard his words, they quit their wrong-doing. 


THE KING’S CUPBEARER AND HIS STORY 


373 


Ezra stayed with the people for some time and taught them the 
words of God. He read to them from the great rolls that he had writ- 
ten, and they never grew tired of listening. They had no copies of 
God’s law in their homes, for books were very few in those days and 
only rich people could afford them. Ezra, had collected the books that 
Moses and Samuel and David had written, and the books of the proph- 
ets. These were the books from which he read to the Jews. 


STORY 15 

THE KING’S CUPBEARER AND HIS STORY 

Neh. 1:1-2:18 

In the palace of King Artaxerxes was a noble young man who daily 
waited on the great ruler. This young man ’s name was Nehemiah, and 
he was a Jew. Although he was very rich, and favored more than any 
of the King’s servants, yet Nehemiah was a humble-minded young man. 
And this is a story that he tells us about a part of his eventful life : 

“In the twelfth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign I was in the pal- 
ace of Shushan as cupbearer of the King when my brother Hanani 
and certain other men came from the land of Judah. I w|as eager to see 
them and to hear news from! the land of miy fathers, so when my duties 
were done I asked them about Jerusalem and about those Jews who 
had gone back to rebuild the temple of the Lord. 

“My brother and his companions shook their heads sorrowfully, 
and replied that things were not going well in the city where David 
once ruled so gloriously as king of God’s people. They told me that 
the walls which Nebuchadnezzar and his soldiers had torn down and 
burned many years ago had never been repaired, and that the place 
looked very desolate, and unworthy of the great name that once had 
made it a glory in the earth. They also told me that the Jews who had 
returned were now poor and greatly oppressed by their enemies round 
about. 

“When I heard these words I sat down and wept, for my heart 
was grieved, and I longed to see the prosperity of my people. Then 
there stirred within me a desire to help them, so I fasted and prayed 
earnestly to the God of heaven, and besought him to grant me the favor 
of the King. For I knew I could do nothing to help my people except 
the King should give his consent. 


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“One day while I stood by the King’s table pouring wine into his 
goblet, I could not keep my thoughts on my work. And I could not 
speak so cheerfully as was my usual manner, for my heart was sad- 
dened by the great needs of my people. The King noticed my sad 

countenance, and 
he asked what had 
caused my sorrow 
of heart ; for he 
knew I was not 
sick. Then I was 
afraid, for I 
thought surely he 
was d i s pleased 
with me. But I 
told him that I had 
heard sad news 
from my people in 
Judah, and I told 
him about the 
broken walls of Je- 
rusalem and the 
oppressed condi- 
tion of the Jews. 

‘ 4 The King 
listened patiently, 
then asked what I 
desired of him. 
Before answering, 
I breathed a prayer 
to the God of heav- 
en, and then I said, 

4 If it please the 
King, and if I have 
found favor in 
your eyes, I ask 

that you send me to Jerusalem to rebuild the city of miy fathers.’ The 
Queen also was sitting by, listening, and the King asked how long I 
should be absent from) his palace. I told him how long my journey 
would be, and that I might not return for many days. But it pleased 
him to send me, and to give me letters to the rulers near Judah, telling 
them to help me on the way. He also gave me a letter to the man who 


NEHEMIAH EXAMINING THE WALLS BY NIGHT 


HOW THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM WERE REBUILT 375 


was the keeper of his forest, telling him to permit me to get trees from 
the forest with which to rebuild the gates of the city walls. 

“I did not start out on this long, dangerous journey alone, for the 
King sent captains and soldiers of his army with me, and we rode on 
horses, which he provided. After many days we came to the rulers of 
the countries near Judah, and I showed to them the letters that King 
Artaxerxes had written. These rulers were not friendly with the poor 
Jews at Jerusalem, and they were sorry because I had come to 
strengthen the city. But they dared not hinder me, so I passed on and 
soon came to Judah. 

‘ ‘ For three days I rested, then I rose up quietly during the night 
and took a few of my soldiers with me to discover the truel condition 
of the city wall. We passed out through the entrance by the valley 
gate and I rode around the city. No one except my companions knew 
what I was doing, and none of the people of Jerusalem knew why I had 
come to visit them. But after my ride that night I felt prepared to 
talk to them about the task I had come to accomplish. For I found the 
broken walls lying in heaps oif ruins, and in some places my horse could 
not find a path. 

4 ‘ Then I talked to the rulers and to the priests and told them why 
I had come. I told them that Jerusalem was a reproach among all 
nations, and that God was not pleased to have his people let it remain 
in this broken-down condition. I told them how God had answered my 
prayer by causing the King to allow me to come; and when the rulers 
and the priests heard my words, they said, 4 Let us arise and build the 
wall.’ ” 


STORY 16 

HOW THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM WERE REBUILT 

Nehemiah 2:19 — 13:31; Malachi 1 — 4 

News of Nehemiah ’s talk with the rulers and the priests spread 
rapidly among the Jews living in Jerusalem. And they rejoiced be- 
cause God had sent this nobleman from the palace in Shushan to help 
them rebuild their city. 

The great work began at once, and nearly everybody seemed in- 
terested. Of course there were some who stood back to find fault; but 
they could not crush the zeal of the busy workers. Even the women 
wished to help in the building, and some of the rich women hired work- 
ers to build a part of the wall. 


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BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


The high priest said he would rebuild the Sheep Gate. There were 
several other gates to rebuild, and soon there were several other per- 
sons promising to rebuild them. So the Sheep Gate, and the Horse Gate, 
and the Fish Gate, and the Valley Gate, and the Water Gate, and every 
other gate of the broken-down wall was soon rising up in the same place 
where Nebuchadnezzar had burned the former gates many years before. 

And some promised to repair the wall in front of their homes, 
while others promised to repair longer stretches. But before this work 



HOW THEY BUILT THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM 


could be done, the people set to work clearing away the rubbish and 
gathering out the great stones. What a busy crowd of workers they 
were! Nehemiah rode around the walls on his horse and directed in 
the building. 

When Sanballat and Tobiah, twio enemies who lived near Jeru- 
salem, heard what was taking place, they were very angry. They did 
not wish to see this great city rebuilt, for they feared that the Jews 
would no longer allow them to come into Jerusalem and oppress the 
people who lived there. So they planned many ways to hinder the 
building of the wall. First they made fun of the Jews, and pretended 
that the wall was not strong enough to offer protection in times of dan- 
ger. They said, “If a fox should try to walk on the wall it would tum- 
ble down into ruins again. ’ ’ 



HOW THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM WERE REBUILT 377 


But Nehemiah and his workers paid no attention to the jokes and 
jeers of their enemies. They kept right on with their great work, and 
would not stop to answer hack. 

Finally Sanhallat and Tobiah saw they must do something else to 
hinder the work, so they wrote letters to Nehemiah, saying, “You have 
come to rebuild Jerusalem and set yourself up as a king over the city. 
Then you plan to rebel against the king of Persia.” But Nehemiah 
answered, “I have not come for such a purpose / ’ and he kept on with 
the building. 

Now the enemies were angry, and they planned to come and fight 
against the men of Jerusalem, and kill them. But Nehemiah heard 
about their plan, and he armed the men with swords and spears on 
covery paid of the wall. Some worked with one hand while they held 
a spear in the other hand. And all the while, both day and night, guards 
stood about to watch for the approach of the enemy. 

At last the walls were built, but the doors ofl the gates were not 
yet set up. The enemies had been afraid to come and fight, for they had 
heard that Nehemiah and his workers were armed with swords and 
spears, so they planned to act friendly and call Nehemiah away from 
Jerusalem, on a business trip, to one of their cities. Then perhaps 
they intended to kill him there. But Nehemiah would not go, for he 
said, “I am doing a great work, and I can not leave it to come down 
to your city.” 

After fifty-two days, or nearly two months, the entire wall was 
finished. And the people of Jerusalem were very thankful that Nehe- 
miah had come to encourage them and to build up the broken wall of 
their ruined city. They saw he was interested in them, and soon they 
came to tell him about other things that troubled them. They explained 
why they were so poor and so discouraged. 

Nehemiah listened to their words, and then he called the rulers 
and told them what the poor people had said. The rulers were ashamed 
because they had never tried to help these people. Now they promised 
Nehemiah that they would do better. 

For twelve years Nehemiah stayed in Jerusalem and acted as gov- 
ernor of the city. Then he knew that Artaxerxes, the King, would be 
expecting him back in Shushan ; for lie had promised to return at that 
time. So he appointed his brother Hanani and another man to rule the 
city while he should be absent, and then hurried back to see the King. 
Artaxerxes permitted him to return the second time to Jerusalem, and 
Nehemiah ’s work on this second visit was more the work of restoring 
the customs that God had commanded by Moses for the people to obey. 


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BIBLE-STOBiY BOOK 


Because of the faithful efforts of men like JNTehemiah and Ezra, 
the priest, the Jews began to pay more heed to the teachings of God’s 
law. They began to act more like a separate people, uninfluenced by 
their heathen neighbors, and they refused to worship idols any longer. 
By and by other teachers rose among them, and these teachers wrote 
law-books, which they called “traditions.” These teachings were very 
strict ; but God was not pleased with them, for he had not commanded 
that they should be written and obeyed. 

Malachi, the last of the prophets, came to speak God’s words to the 
people while Nehemiah yet lived. This faithful prophet told the Jews 
about the coming of Jesus, the Savior, into the world, and he wrote 
his words in a book. The Jews kept his book with the other books that 
Ezra, the priest, had given to them. And Malachi ’s writings) are ”tiie 
last words we find in the Old Testament. 


WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE 
NEW TESTAMENT 

Four hundred years is a long time; but more than four hundred 
years passed by between the stories of the Old Testament and the 
stories of the New Testament. And during those years many changes 
took place in the history of the Jews. 

Although God; had permitted the Jews to return from their cap- 
tivity in Babylon to the homeland of their fathers, in Judah, he did not 
permit them to become a separate kingdom as they had been before. 
tHe did not allow* another of David’s descendants to rebuild a throne 
in Jerusalem and rule there. Now the Jews were servants of the kings 
of other nations, first of one country and then of another. 

Once during these years the Jews freed themselves from the rule 
of other kings and chose one of their own nation to rule over them. 
But this man whom they chose was not a descendant of David. He was 
the son of a priest. And his sons after him ruled until the Romans 
came with an army and conquered the little Jewish nation. From that 
time the Jews became servants of the rulers of Rome. 

Because' the capital of the Roman government was very far from 
Judah, the rulers of Rome sent a general named Herod to be the king 
of the Jews. This king set up his throne in Jerusalem and governed 
the people of that country to please the Romans. And he did many 
things that displeased the Jews ; for he was 1 a very wicked man. 

After ruling the Jews for eighteen years, King Herod found out 
that he had many enemies among them. He wished to make friends 
with them, so he planned to rebuild their temple, which was now in 
great need of repair. He tore down the old temple, which Zerubbabel 
had rebuilt, on Mount Moriah, and erected in its place a very beautiful 
building of white marble stones. Some of -these stones he covered with 
plates of silver and gold. 

For several years Herod’s workmen labored to erect the new tem- 
ple, and during those years he engaged the services of eighteen thou- 
sand men. This splendid structure could be seen towering above the 
other buildings of Jerusalem, and reflecting the dazzling glory of the 
morning sunlight. This new temple became the pride of the Jews, 
just as Solomon’s temple had pleased the Israelites, their fathers, many 
years before. And in this new temple the priests who were descendants 
of Aaron continued to offer sacrifices to God each morning and each 
evening, just as Moses had commanded in the book of the law, which 
God gave to him on Mount Sinai. 




Stories of the New Testament 


In Two Parts 






PART FIRST 

STORIES ABOUT JESUS 

Matthew; Mark; Luke; John; Acts 1:1-15 


STORY 1 

AN ANGEL VISITOR IN THE TEMPLE 

Luke 1:1-23 

Zacharias, the priest, was an old man. All his lifetime he had been 
in the priesthood, for he wta,s a descendant of Aaron. And he had mar- 
ried a woman named Elizabeth who also belonged to the family of the 
priests. 

Zacharias and Elizabeth loved God and lived to please him as well 
as they knew how. They thought often of the promises God had given 
to the Jews by the old prophets who lived and died many years before 
their time. These promises were that some day God would send a 
Savior into the world, a son of David, to rule over his people forever. 

Now Zacharias and his wife had grown old, and God had never 
given them any children. They had prayed many times and asked God 
to give them a little son or a little daughter, but their prayers had never 
been answered. And they had lived alone in their quiet home, thinking 
that God was not willing to bless them with the joy of parenthood. 
Still they served him faithfully ; for they knew God always does what 
is best. 

Zacharias did not always work in the temple. There were many 
priests, and these priests served in the temple by courses, just as David 
had planned when he arranged for the building of the first temple in 
Jerusalem. There were twenty-four courses of the priests, and Zach- 
arias belonged to the course of Abia. When his turn came to serve he 
left his quiet home in the hill-country of Judah and went to Jerusalem. 
There he did the work that fell to him by lot. And his lot was to burn 
incense on the golden altar, in the holy place, or the first room of the 
temple, where only the priests might enter. Dwice each day, at the 
time of the morning and the evening sacrifices, Zacharias took his censer 
of burning coals from the great altar and went into the holy place alone 
to offer sweet perfumes upon the golden altar before God. And while 

383 


384 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 



THE HILL-COUNTRY OF JUDAH. WHERE ZACHARIAS’ HOME ONCE WAS 




THE HEAVENLY MESSENGER IN GALILEE 


385 


lie lingered in that room, the people who came up to the temple to wor- 
ship stood in the court outside and prayed. This was called the hour 
of prayer. 

One day while Zacharias was offering incense upon the golden 
altar he was surprized to see an angel standing on the right side of 
the altar watching him. At first Zacharias was very much afraid, for 
he had never seen an angel before. But the angel said, “Do not be 
afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife shall have a 
son, whom you shall call John. This child shall bring you much joy, 
for he shall be great in the sight of! the Lord. He shall never drink 
wine or strong drink, and he shall have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in 
him and giving him power such as Elijah had, to turn the people from 
their sins to serve God.” 

Zacharias listened, filled with wonder as to whether these words 
could be really true. He thought he and Elizabeth were too old to have 
a child, and he asked the angel to give him a sign that he might know 
for sure these things would happen. The angel answered, “I am 
Gabriel, the angel who stands in the presence of the Lord, and I have 
been sent by the Lord to tell you this glad news. But you have .not 
believed my words, because you, ask for a sign. Therefore this sign 
shall be given to you: You shall not be able to speak another word 
until the child is born.” And then the angel disappeared as suddenly 
as he had come. 

The people stood outside waiting and wondering why Zacharias 
was so long in the holy place. When he came out to them he could not 
speak, but showed them by motions that he had seen a vision from God. 

Not long afterwards Zacharias finished his course of service at the 
temple and returned to his home in the hill-country of Judah, as speech- 
less as when he came out of the holy place. But he knew the time would 
come when his voice would return, for he believed the sign that the 
angel had given to him. 


STORY 2 

THE HEAVENLY MESSENGER IN GALILEE 

Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56 

Mary was a Jewess. She had grown to womanhood in Nazareth, 
a city of Galilee. And she was expecting soon to marry a good man 
named Joseph. 

Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David, but they 


386 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 



NAZARETH AS IT IS TODAY. IT WAS IN THIS C ITY THAT THE ANGEL VISITED MARY 

AND WHERE JESUS PLAYED AND WORKED AS A BOY 



THE HEAVENLY MESSENGER IN GALILEE 


387 


were poor people. Joseph was a carpenter, and he worked with his 
tools to make a living for himself and to prepare a home for his bride. 

One day God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to speak to Mary, 
for God had chosen this young woman to become the mother of the 
Savior who would soon he born into the world. 

Mary was surprized when she saw the angel, and she was more 
surprized when she heard his words. For he said, “You are highly 
favored and blessed among women, for the Lord is with you.” Seeing 
that Mary did not understand his meaning, the angel told her that 
God was well pleased with her and he had chosen her to become the 
mother of Jesus, the Savior of mien. He told her that Jesus, her son, 
would be a King, and that he would rule forever. Even yet the sur- 
prized young woman could not understand his words, so the angel 
told her that this wonderful child would be called the Son of God. 

While Mary listened the angel told her about the promised child 
of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the old people who lived in the hill-coun- 
try of Judah. And he said, “Although they are old people, nothing 
is too hard for God to do.” Then Mary knew that God could give her 
this wonderful child which the angel had promised, and she said, “Let 
God’s will be done.” So the angel left her and went back to heaven. 

Now, Mary knew Elizabeth, the old lady of whom the angel spoke; 
for Elizabeth was her cousin. And she knew how Elizabeth had longed 
to have a child for many years. She believed that her cousin must be 
very happy since God had promised to give her a child in her old age. 
Although the distance was great, she wished to see Elizabeth. So she 
decided to make her a visit. 

As soon as Mary entered the home of her cousin and spoke words 
of greeting, God caused Elizabeth to know the secret which the angel 
had told this young woman in her own home. And Elizabeth rejoiced 
that Mary had come to visit her. She knew that Mary would some 
day be the mother of Jesus, the Savior of men. 

The two women spent many happy days together, then Mary hur- 
ried back to her own home in Nazareth. There God’s angel spoke to 
Joseph, the carpenter, in a dream, and told him about the wonderful 
secret of Jesus’ birth. And Joseph was glad, for he had been longing 
for the time to come when the promised Savior should be born. He 
took Mary into his home and they waited for the angel’s promise to 
come true. 


388 


BIBLB-STGRY BOOK 


STORY 3 

HOW THE DUMB PRIEST AND HIS WIFE NAMED THEIR CHILD 

Luke 1:57-80 

A time of great rejoicing had come to the quiet little home in the 
hill-country of Judah, for God had sent the promised child to Zacharias 
and his aged wife, Elizabeth. And all the neighbors and relatives were 
rejoicing with these happy parents of the baby boy. 

When the child was eight days old preparations were made to give 
him a name, for this was the custom of the Jews. The friends and 
relatives said, “Let us call him Zacharias, after the name of his father. ” 

But Elizabeth answered, “No, do not call him Zacharias, for his 
name is John.” 

“Why do you wish to call him John?” they asked in surprize. 
‘ ‘ You have no relatives who are called by that name. ’ ’ Then they turned 
to the old father, who had not spoken since the angel talked with him 
in the temple, and by making signs they asked him what they should 
call the child. 

Zacharias understood what they wlished to know, and he motioned 
for them to bring! a Writing-table. This they did. Then he wrote in 
plain letters, so all could read, “His name is John.” 

“How strange!” thought the people. And all at once Zacharias 
began to speak to- them again, just as he used to speak before he had 
seen the angel. And he praised God for giving him this wonderful 
baby boy. 

News of this wonderful baby spread all through the hill-country, 
and people became much interested in him. They heard how the angel 
had appeared to Zacharias in the temple and promised that God would 
give the child, and they heard how Zacharias had been unable to speak 
from that time until after the baby was called by the name that the 
angel had given. They wondered much about these strange happen- 
ings, and they believed that surely the baby John would grow up into 
a great man. 

Zacharias received wisdom from God and spoke words of prophecy 
to his neighbors and friends about his little son. He blessed the Lord. 
And then he said to his little boy, “You, my child, shall be called the 
prophet of the Highest, for you shall go before the face of the. Lord 
to prepare his ways. You shall give knowledge of salvation to his peo- 
ple by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our 
God.” 


HOW THE PRIEST AND HIS WIFE NAMED THEIR CHILD 389 







390 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Many other words did Zacharias speak ; and his words came true, 
for the Spirit of God had caused him to speak those words. And Zach- 
arias cared for his little son as long as he lived. He watched with pride 
the changes that came with the years in the life of his little boy. And 
he saw that God was blessing John and causing him to grow strong and 
brave. 

Perhaps Zacharias and Elizabeth did not live to see the day when 
John became a very useful man for God, for lie did not begin his great 
work until he was thirty years old. Until that time he lived quietly in 
the desert country, and studied the books that God’s prophets had 
written. He also listened much to the voice of God, and learned to 
understand God’s will. 


STORY 4 

THE STORY OF A WONDERFUL BABY’S BIRTH 

Luke 2 : 1-39 

Out on the streets of Nazareth the people were standing in groups, 
talking excitedly. News had just readied their city that the great 
emperor of Rome had commanded all of them to go to the town or 
city from which their families had come and have their names written 
on lists. The emperor wished to have a list of the names of all the 
people in his great kingdom, or empire. And no one dared to disobey 
his command. 

Soon travelers wlere seen going in every direction, for the em- 
peror’s command had been read in every city in the land. Out from 
Nazareth a company of people) started toward the south, and in that 
company were Joseph and Mary, for they were both of the family of 
David, and they were going to Bethlehem, the city of David, to have 
their names written upon the list at that place. 

The road to the south led through the country Of Samaria, then 
over the hills of Judah into Jerusalem. From Jerusalem Joseph and 
Mary went farther south, till they came to Bethlehem. Some of their 
company had left them in other cities along the way, while others had 
joined them. And when they reached Bethlehem they found that it was 
swarming with people who belonged, as they did, to the city where 
David was born. From every part of the land these people had come, 
and they had filled the lodging-rooms till no more place could be found 
for the new arrivals. 

The long journey from Nazareth had been very tiresome, and Mary 


THE STORY OF A WONDERFUL BABY’S BIRTH 391 



THE ANGEL, TALKING TO THE SHEPHERDS IN A FIELD NEAR BETHLEHEM 


392 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK; 


longed for a place to rest. But Joseph could find no* place except in 
the stable of the inn. And here they stayed during their first days in 
Bethlehem. 

God had not forgotten his promise to Mary, and one night while 
she was in Bethlehem he gave her the child, Jesus. And Mary wrapped 
him in soft cloths called swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger 
where the cattle fed, because she could find no better place. 

The people of Bethlehem did not know that the angels were watch- 
ing over their city that night. They did not hear the angels’ glad 
song when Jesus was bom. They did not see the joy of Mlary and 
Joseph as they bent over the wonderful child in the mianger. And so it 
was that God’s greatest gift to men came right into that neighborhood 
and those people did not receive it as a gift from God, because they 
did not expect a Savior to be born of such a humble person as 
Mary. 

But there were shepherds watching their flocks that night in a 
field near Bethlehem. Perhaps David, the shepherd king, had tended 
sheep in that same field many years before. These shepherds knew 
about David, and about God’s promise to David that one of his de- 
scendants would be the Savior of men. And they may have been talk- 
ing about God’s promise when the angel of the Lord suddenly came 
near and a glorious light broke upon them through the darkness. Trem- 
bling with fear, they looked upon the angel and wondered why he had 
come to them. Then he spoke, and said: “Fear 1 not, for I bring you 
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is 
born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. 
And you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling-clothes and lying in 
a manger. ’ ’ 

What a wonderful message ! The shepherds listened eagerly to the 
angel’s words, and when he finished speaking they saw a multitude of 
angels join him and begin to sing. Such music this world had never 
heard, for the angels were singing one of heaven’s glad songs, giving 
glory to God in the highest. And they also sang, “Peace on earth, 
good will toward men. ’ ’ 

When the song had ended, the angels went back into heaven and 
the glorious light faded again into the darkness of the still night. But 
the shepherds never forgot the sweetness of that song nor the joy it 
brought to their hearts. They did not wait until daylight to hasten to 
Bethlehem in search of the wonderful child, but said to each other just 
as soon as the angels disappeared, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and 
see this thing which the Lord has made known to us.” So they left 


THE STORY OF A WONDERFUL BABY’S BIRTH 393 


their flocks and hurried to Bethlehem, and there they found Mary and 
Joseph in the stable, with the infant Savior lying in the manger as the 
angel had said. 

The shepherds told Mary and Joseph about their angel visitors 
and about the wonderful song that the angels sang. And no doubt 
they knelt before the manger and 
worshiped the little babe who lay 
quietly sleeping in the hay. Then 
they ran into the streets of Bethle- 
hem and told every one whom they 
met about the angel’s visit and 
about the wonderful child who had 
been born that night in a stable of 
the city. And the people wondered 
about the strange tilings that the 
shepherds told. 

When the baby was eight days 
old, Joseph and Mary gave him a 
name, and they called him by the 
name the angel had chosen. That 
name, Jesus, means “salvation,” and it told to men the work that 
God had sent this child to do. 

There was a law’ among the Jews that an offering should he made 
to the Lord for the first hoy child born into each family. Among the 
rich people this offering should be a lamb, Rut among the poor people 
the offering of only two young pigeons would please God just as well. 
When Jesus was forty days old Joseph and Mary took him to the tem- 
ple at Jerusalem to give their offering to the Lord. They brought two 
pigeons, for they were poor and could not bring a lamb. 

An old man named Simeon was in the temple when Joseph and 
Mary camie to bring their offering. This old man had served God for 
many years, and he longed to see the Savior whom God had promised 
to send into the world. God knew about this longing in Simeon’s heart, 
and one day he spoke to Simeon and said, “You shall not die until you 
have seen the Savior.” 

When Mary brought the baby Jesus to the temple, God’s Spirit 
caused Simeon to know this child was the promised Savior. He came 
eagerly to meet Mary and took her babe in his arms. Then he said, 
“Now may God let me depart in peace, for I have seen with my eyes 
the salvation which he) has sent.” 

Another faithful servant of the Lord was in the temple that day, 



THE SHEPHERDS VISITING THE 
BABY JESUS 



394 


BIBLE-STOKY BOOK 


an old lady named Anna, who spoke words of prophecy to the people. 
When she saw Jesus, she too gave thanks to God, and to the people who 

stood in the courts of the temple 



SIMEON HOLDING MART’S BABY, JESUS 

strange things and wondered how h 
the King and Savior of the world. 


she spoke about this child of 
promise which had been sent from 
God to man. 

Mary never forgot the words 
of these dear old people concern- 
ing her wonderful child. She 
remembered, too, the story that 
the shepherds had told, about 
the angels’ visit to them,, and 
about their words and song. 
Always in the days that follow'ed 
Mary thought about these 
r son Jesus would finally become 


STOBY 5 

THE WISE MEN WHO FOLLOWED A STAR 

Matthew 2 

In the country far to the east of Judah there lived some wise men 
who studied the stars. One night they discovered' a new star in the 
sky, one that they had never seenj before. And God caused them to 
know by this star that Christ, the promised King of the Jews, had been 
born. 

These wise men feared God, and they Wished to see the child whom 
he had sent to be the Savior of the World. They supposed that the 
Jews must be very happy because God had at last sent to them the 
King he had promised. 

Because these wise men were rich, they planned at once to make 
the long journey to Judah and bring precious gifts to the new-born 
King. Then they would worship him as their Savior. 

For many days they traveled across the sandy desert, and at last 
they came to the fertile country where the Jews lived. They hurried 
on to the city of Jerusalem; for they expected tol find the wonderful 
child living in the most beautiful place in all the land. And surely 


THE WISE MEN WHO FOLLOWED A STAR 395 

Jerusalem, the famous city of the Jews, wouldj be the most beautiful 
place. 

Herod, the man whom the emperor of Rome had set up over the 
land of Judah, was living in Jerusalem at that time. He was surprized 
when these strangers, riding on camels, came into his city and asked, 

4 ‘Where is the child that is bom King of the Jews? We have seen his 
star in the far east country, and have come to worship him.” Herod 
had heard nothing about this new-born King, and he was troubled. 
What could this mean? he Wondered. And even the rich people in 
Jerusalem were puzzled, too. They had heard nothing about Jesus. 

No doubt the wise men were disappointed when they found that 
the rulers of Jerusalem knew nothing about the birth of the Savior. 
Perhaps they feared that they might have been mistaken, after all. 
But they waited anxiously while Herod called the chief priests and the 
scribes and asked them where the Savior should be born. 

Now the chief priests and scribes were the men who read the 
books that the prophets had Written long ago, and they understood that 
Christ should be born in Bethlehem. This they told to the excited 
Herod, and he called the wise men and told them that they should look 
for the child in Bethlehem. 

Herod had been troubled, because he did not want Jesus to become 
the king of the Jews. He thought this new-born King would take 
away his throne, and he wished to be king himself. But he did not let 
the wise mien know about his troubled feelings. He called them and 
asked very politely when they had) first seen this unusual star in the 
east, and they told him. Then he urged them to hurry on to Bethle- 
hem and search diligently to find the child. “When you have found 
him,” said Herod, “bring me word at once, that I, too, may go and 
worship him.” And with these words he dismissed them from his 
presence. 

The wise men mounted their camels again and took the south road, 
leading to Bethlehem. All day they had waited impatiently in Jeru- 
salem, and now the shadows of night were falling over the land. But 
it would not be a very long ride to the birthplace of the new-born King, 
and, urged on by Herod’s words, they hastened to find Jesus. When 
once outside the city gates, they saw the star, the same beautiful star 
that had shone so brightly’ in the east country, moving slowly before 
them, as if leading them onj to the right place. Now they were sure 
that they had not been mistaken; and they rejoiced greatly, for they 
believed that God was in this manner trying to help them to find Jesus. 

When they reached Bethlehem the star stood still over the place 


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where Mary and Joseph were living. And the wise men knew they 
had followed the right guide, for here they found the wonderful child 
of whom the prophets had written. They knelt in humble worship be- 
fore him, and then gave to him the rich treasures that they had brought 
from their homeland. 

God spoke to the wise men in a dream one night while they were in 
Bethlehem, and warned them not to tell Herod that they had found 
Jesus. So they returned to their own country by another road, and 
Herod never saw them again. Not long afterwards an angel of the 
Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream and said, 4 ‘ Arise, and take the young 
child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I bring 
word to you to return again; for Herod will seek for Jesus and try to 
destroy him.” 

Joseph rose up at once, and while it was yet dark he took Mary 
and the baby Jesus and hurried out of Bethlehem. For many days 
they traveled to the southwest, until they came to the land of Egypt. 
There they lived until an angel came to tell them that the wicked Herod 
v^as dead. 

But Herod did not die for some time after the visit of the wise 
men. He waited long for them to return, bringing him word from 
Bethlehem as he had commanded them to do. But when many days 
passed and they did not come, he began to suspect that they had gone 
home without telling him of their wonderful discovery in Bethlehem. 
He believed they had guessed the reason why he had been so eager to 
see Jesus, and now he was angry because he had missed this oppor- 
tunity to find the new-born Kjing of the Jews. 

Determined to destroy this King of the prophecies, Herod com- 
manded his soldiers to go to Bethlehem and kill every baby there from 
two years old and younger. Not only to Bethlehem did he send them, 
but to the country places round about. And when this cruel deed was 
done he believed that he had surely gotten rid of this child whom the 
wise men sought to worship. 

But all the while Jesus was living in safety among the people of 
Egypt, and fast growing out of his babyhood years. Then the wicked 
Herod died, and an angel came again to speak to Joseph, telling him 
to return with his wife and her child to their own land. 

Joseph was glad to receive this message from the angel, for he 
loved to live among his own people. And he started back to Bethle- 
hem. But when he came into Judah he heard that Herod’s son was 
now the ruler of the Jews in Judah, and he feared that this new king 
might be cruel like his father had been. Because of this fear Joseph 

























WHEN JESUS WAS A BOY TWELVE YEARS OLD 


397 


journeyed on to Nazareth, in the country of Galilee, where he and 
Mary had lived before Jesus was horn. And there he made a home 
for his wife and her wonderful child. 


STORY 6 

WHEN JESUS WAS A BOY TWELVE YEARS OLD 

Luke 2 : 40-52 

Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus, was nearly seventy miles 
from Jerusalem. The Jews who lived in this city could not go every 
week to worship God at the temple, so they built a house of worship, 
called a synagog, in their home town. Here they attended religious 
services, and listened toi the reading of the books written by Moses 
and by the prophets. 

As a little boy Jesus lived in the humble home of Joseph, the car- 
penter, and played among the shavings that fell from Joseph’s bench. 
He also liked to run about and, play in the warm sunshine, as little 
children do today. But when he grew old enough to go to school his 
parents sent him to the synagog, where other Jewish boys were taught 
to read and to write. 

We are sure that Jesus studied his lessons well, and that he gave 
careful attention to the books he read each day. These books were 
copies of the Psalms and of the writings of Moses, theJ lawgiver, and 
the prophets. Like other Jewish boys, he learned to repeat many of 
these scriptures from memory, for he never had a Bible of his own. 

One spring morning after Jesus was twelve years old a company 
of Jews started from Nazareth to attend the Feast of the Passover, at 
Jerusalem. Every year since their return from Egypt, Joseph and 
Mary had attended this feast, and now, as usual, they were in this 
company. But this time they were taking with them the boy Jesus. 

Other children, too, were going, and they would enjoy the long 
trip of nearly seventy miles much more than would their parents and 
grown-up friends. 

As the company moved slowly along the road, other Jews from 
cities and villages near by joined them. And when they came to Jeru- 
salem they met people from every part of the land. What an exciting 
time this must have been for the children ! How wide their eyes must 
have opened when they saw the beautiful temple on Mount Moriah, 
with its wide porches and immense pillars of stone! And perhaps 


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BIBLE-STORY BOOK 




WHEN JESUS WAS A BOY TWELVE YEARS OLD 399 


they stayed close by their parents during the first days of the Feast, 
lest they should get lost in the throng of people who daily crowded 
the temple courts. 

Jesus enjoyed this Feast as much as did his parents and grown-up 
friends. Although just a child, he was beginning to realize that God 
was his Father, and that he must work for God. So he listened to the 
readings of the law, and to the words of the chief priests and scribes, 
who taught the Jews every day. But we are sure that he acted very 
much like a healthy twelve-year-old hoy, for his mother did not notice 
how deeply interested he had been in the services at the temple. 

After the Feast had ended, the company started on its homeward 
journey. Mary did not see her young son ; but since she supposed that 
he was among their kinsfolk and friends, she did not feel uneasy. 
However, when at evening he did not come, she and Joseph began to 
search for him. All through the company they went, asking about 
Jesus; but no one^ had seen him that day. Then they turned with 
anxious faces back toward Jerusalem, and for three days they searched 
for their missing child. 

On the third day they found him, not playing with other boys in 
the streets, nor learning to swim in the Pool of Siloam, but sitting in 
the temple among the wise teachers, and asking them questions, which 
they could hardly answer. 

Mary was surprized when she found her boy in the temple among 
the wise men. She had looked every other place for him. She knew 
he was a boy, just a boy, and she was surprized to find him so deeply 
interested in the teachings of God. She came to him and said, “Son, 
why did you stay here when we were starting home? Your father and 
I have been anxiously seeking for you everywhere. ’ ’ Jesus answered, 
“Why did you seek for me? Did you not know that I must be about 
my Father’s business?” He meant, “Why did you not know where 
to find me at once? For I must be about my heavenly Father’s busi- 
ness.” But Mary did not understand, though she wondered much 
about the meaning of his words. 

The wise men in the temple had been much surprized to hear the 
wisdom of the boy Jesus. They had gathered round him, to ask ques- 
tions that only wise persons could answer. And Jesus answered them, 
every one. 

But when Mary and Joseph came to the temple, Jesus left the 
teachers there and returned with his parents to Nazareth. He was an 
obedient child, and as the years passed by he grew into a noble young 
man. Not only did he leam how to explain the Scriptures, but he 


400 


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THE BOY JESUS IN THE TEMPLE WITH THE WISE MEN 



THE STRANGE PREACHER IN THE WILDERNESS 401 


watched Joseph at his work until he, too, became a carpenter. And 
by his kind, thoughtful ways he won many friends. In this humble 
home in Nazareth, Jesus lived until he was thirty years old. 


STORY 7 

THE STRANGE PREACHER IN THE WILDERNESS 

Matthew 3; Mark 1:2-11; Luke 3:1-23; John 1:15-34 

While Jesus was growing to manhood in the city of Nazareth, in 
Galilee, John, the son of Zacharias, was growing to manhood in the 
desert: country of Judea. John spent much of his time alone in this 
desert country, listening to God’s voice. And when he became a man 
he left his lonely home in the desert and began to tell God’s words to 
the people. 

John did not go to the cities of the land to preach God’s message, 
but stayed in the wilderness of Judea near the River Jordan. And the 
people came from every part of the land to hear him speak. There 
had been no prophet among the Jews since the days of Malachi, more 
than four hundred years before, and now everybody was eager to hear 
this strange preacher in the wilderness tell the words that God had 
spoken to him. They believed he was a prophet, sent from God, and 
they came in great numbers to hear his words. 

And John’s words were indeed wonderful. He told the people 
that they should turn away from their sins and begin to do right, for 
God’s kingdom was near at hand. He said that the King for whom they 
had been looking would soon come among them. And those who con- 
fessed their sins he baptized in the River. For this reason they called 
him 4 ‘John the Baptist.” 

All classes of people came to John to be baptized by him. Among 
them were even the religious rulers of the Jews— the Pharisees and 
the Sadducees. These men were very religious, and very careful to 
appear righteous before others. But God, who looked into their hearts, 
saw that they were proud and sinful. God saw that they despised the 
poor unfortunate people who lived among them, and that they believed 
themselves to be more righteous than other men. And when they 
came to be baptized of John, God caused him to know that these Phar- 
isees and Sadducees were only making believe that they were good. 
So John said to them, “Who has warned you evil men toi flee from 


402 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


God’s wrath? Yon can not be prepared to enter God’s kingdom until 
you first turn away from your sins.” 

John taught the people who came to him that they should be un- 
selfish, and kind to the poor. He told those who wterej rich to share 
their food and their clothing with the needy. He told those who were 
soldiers to harm no one, and to be contented 'with their wages. He 
tried in this way to teach them that God ’s kingdom would be a kingdom 
of love and peace, and “good will toward men,” just as the angels 
sang to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth. 

News of the strange preacher in the wilderness spread to even the 
farthest corners of the land, and everywhere the people were talking 
about his message. They were wondering whether John was the 
prophet Elijah come* back to earth again, for John did not dress like 
other men. He wore only a rough garment woven of camel’s hair, and 
tied about his waist with a skin girdle. And he ate the simple food that 
he found in the wilderness, dried locusts and wild honey. And he was 
bold, like Elijah had been, and unafraid to speak the truth to even the 
wicked King Herod, who came to hear him. 

But when John heard about the wonderings of the people, he said, 
r ‘ I am only the voice of one crying in the wilderness, and warning you 
to* prepare for the coming King. After me there is comling one greater 
than I— SO' much greater that I am not worthy to unfasten his shoes. 
And though I baptize you with water, he shall baptize you with the 
Holy Spirit, sent down from heaven.” 

After these things happened, one day Jesus came from Nazareth 
to the Jordan River, where John was preaching and baptizing the peo- 
ple. And Jesus asked to be baptized also. John did not believe that 
Jesus needed to be baptized, and he said, “You are so much greater 
than I that I should be baptized by you. Why do you! come to me?” 
But Jesus answered, “It is necessary that I should be baptized by 
you, because this is God’s plan.” So John took Jesus into the River 
and baptized him there. 

When these two were coming up out of the water, suddenly the 
heavens opened above them and the Spirit of God, in the form of a 
beautiful dove, came down and sat upon Jesus’ head. Then a voice 
from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 
pleased.” And John knew by this sign who Jesus was; for God had 
told him that some day he wlould see the heavens open and the Spirit 
of God descend upon the coming King. 

After this time John continued to preach, and sometimes Herod 
came to hear him. Although Herod was troubled because John told 


THE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS 


403 


him about his sins, his wife was much displeased with this fearless 
preacher of the wilderness. She wanted her husband, Herod, to kill 
him; and to please her, Herod shut John up in prison. 


STORY 8 

THE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS 

Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-14 

You remember the story about the beautiful Garden of Eden, 
where the first man and woman lived when the world was new. And 
you remember about the visit of the Tempter, who came into that beau- 
tiful garden one day and persuaded Eve, the woman, to do wrong. Be- 
fore that time there was no sin in the world ; but after Eve listened to 
the Tempter and obeyed his words, sin crept into her heart. And then 
Adam, the first man, also disobeyed God and allowed sin to creep into 
his heart. 

Because sin found a place in the hearts of the first man and Woman, 
sin was born in the hearts of all their children. And for this reason 
God sent Jesus, his dear Son, into the world, to save the people from 
their sins and to wash away the stains sin had made. 

Satan, the Tempter, knew about God’s plan to save people from 
their sins through Jesus. And he tried to spoil God’s plan just as he 
had done before. He tried to crowd sin into the loving heart of Jesus. 

After the baptism at the Jordan River, when God’s voice spoke 
from heaven and said, “This is my beloved Son,” Jesus was led by the 
Spirit of God into the lonely wilderness. There he lived by himself 
for forty days, among the wild beasts. But God did not allow any harm 
to come to him. 

And Satan, the Tempter, found Jesus all alone in the wilderness. 
So he tempted him there. First in one way and then in another he tried 
to get Jesus to listen to his cunning plans and open his heart to let sin 
enter, just as Adam and Eve had done. But Jesus would not listen. 

When the forty days were ended, Jesus grew very faint and hun- 
gry, for he had eaten nothing since he came into this lonely place. And 
Satan remembered how he had tempted Elve to eat pleasant food, and 
how this temptation had caused her to listen to his words. He thought 
he would try the same temptation on Jesus. He said, “If you really 
are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” 
He thought Jesus would surely yield to this temptation and try to prove 


404 


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that he was God’s Son. But Jesus answered, “Man shall not live by 
bread only, but by every word of God. ’ ’ 

Although be was hungry and faint, Jesus would not use bis great 
power to please himself. He was willing to trust his heavenly Father to 
care for him in that desert place, and supply his needs as he had sup- 
plied food for Elijah. Satan soon saw that he could not cause Jesus 



JESUS SENDING SATAN AWAY 


to yield to such a temptation, so he tried another way. 

Taking Jesus to the topmost part of the temple in Jerusalem, he 
said, “If you expect people to believe that you} are really God’s Son 
you must show some great sign. Now cast yourself down to the ground, 
and trust God to protect you and keep your bones from! being broken; 
for in the Scriptures he has promised that angels will bear you up and 
not allow any harm to befall you.” 

Even though Satan used Scripture words to urge Jesus to do this 
foolish deed, yet Jesus would not obey him. For Jesus knew that the 


HOW FIVEl MEN BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH JESUS 405 


Scriptures had forbidden any one to tempt God in such a foolish man- 
ner and expect God’s angels to help him. And again Satan saw that 
his plan had failed. 

The third time Satan brought his greatest temptation. He took 
J esus to the top of a high mountain and caused him to see all the king- 
doms of the world. ‘ 4 These great kingdoms are mine, ’ ’ said the Temp- 
ter, 4 ‘and I can give them to any one I choose. Now I will give them 
to you if only you will fall down and worship me.” 

But Jesus knew! that Satan’s words were not true. He knew that 
Satan had told falsehoods to Eve in the beautiful Garden of Eden. 
Now he said, “Get away from me, you Evil One! for it is written in the 
Scriptures that the Lord God is the only Being who should be wor- 
shiped. ’ ’ 

Then Satan left Jesus alone; for he could find no way to crowd sin 
into the pure heart of the Son 1 of God. And when he went awiay the 
angels came from heaven and supplied Jesus’ needs. How they must 
have rejoiced because the Savior had gained such a victory over the 
Evil One! 

And Jesus was tempted in every way that people on the earth 
are tempted; still he did no wrong. By his temptations he was made 
to understand how people feel wlien Satan whispers to their hearts 
and urges them to sin, and he understands how to help those people 
when they call upon him in prayer. 


STOiRY 9 

HOW FIVE MEN BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH JESUS 

John 1:35-51 

Many people who heard John preach by the riverside believed 
his words, and they began to look for the coming of the King from 
heaven. From day to day they waited eager to hear the glad news 
that the King had arrived. They believed that he would set up a king- 
dom in Judea, like the kingdom of David had been. And they believed 
that the Jews would be the favored people in this great kingdom. 

One day after Jesus had returned from the lonely wilderness, John 
the Baptist saw him walking along the road near the river. And J ohn 
cried out, “Behold the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world!” 

Two young men from Galilee were with John that day and heard 
him speak. These young men had been disciples, or learners, of John, 


406 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 



for they were interested in the teachings of God. When they heard 
John’s Words concerning Jesus, the Lamb of God, they turned at once 
to follow this wonderful person. Perhaps they wondered why John 
had called him the 4 4 Lamb of God. ’ 9 And perhaps they wondered how 
he could bear the sin of the world. 

Jesus knew these young men were following him, so he stopped 
and called to them. He asked what they wanted of him, and they an- 


JESUS AND THE FIVE MEN 

swered, 4 4 Master, where do you dwell!” Then Jesus took them with 
him and talked with them all that day. 

We do not know what Jesus told those men, but we do know that 
his words proved to their minds that he was the King, or Messiah, for 
whom the Jews were looking. How glad they were because they had 
found him ! 

One of those young men was Andrew, who afterwards became a 
disciple of Jesus. Just as soon as he believed that Jesus was the 
promised King he remembered how eagerly his brother, Simon, was 


HOW FIVE MEN BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH JESUS 407 


waiting to see this great person, too. So he hurried at once to find 
Simon and bring him to Jesus. 

Both Simon and Andrew lived by the seaside in Galilee, but at this 
time they were numbered among the many people who daily sat lis- 
tening to' the words of the strange preacher in the wilderness. Never 
had they heard such wonderful teaching before, and they were sure 
that John was a prophet. But Jesus’ words had convinced Andrew 
that he had found a new teacher who was even greater than John. So 
he called Simon aside from the multitude and said, “Come with me, 
for we have found the Messiah!” 

When Jesus saw the two brothers coming to his lodging-place he 
looked at Simon and said, “You are Simon, the son of Jona; but you 
shall be called Peter.” Simon wondered how Jesus knew so much 
about him, but after he listened to Jesus ’ words he, too, believed that 
the long-looked-for King of the Jews had come. And he followed 
Jesus with his brother Andrew. 

On the next day Jesus began h;s journey back to his home country 
in Galilee, and these men went with him. As they went they met a 
man named Philip, who lived in the same town as Simon and Andrew 
lived in. Jesus called Philip to follow him, too; and Philip obeyed. 
As he walked along the road with Jesus and the other followers Philip 
listened in wonder to the wise sayings of his new-found friend. He 
had longed for the coming of the Messiah, and now he, too, believed 
that Jesus was the promised Savior and King. 

Philip had a neighbor named Nathaniel who had often talked with 
him about the glorious time soon coming when the King of the Jews 
would appear. And now he ran to tell Nathaniel about Jesus. He knew 
how greatly Nathaniel longed to see the coming King, and he called 
to him, saying, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and 
the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth.” 

Nathaniel knew the Scriptures, and he did not believe that the 
King of the Jews would come from Nazareth, for the prophets had 
said he would be bom in Bethlehem. So he said to Philip, “Can any 
good thing come out of Nazareth?” But Philip answered, “Come 
and see.” 

Because Philip was so eager, Nathaniel rose and followed him. 
When they came near, Jesus saw Nathaniel, and he said, “Behold an 
Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” 

“How do you know me?” asked the astonished Jew, and Jesus 
answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig- 
tree, I saw you.” 


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BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


What Nathaniel had been doing under the fig-tree we can only 
guess, but he may have been kneeling there and praying that God 
would hasten the coming of the promised King. When he heard J esus ’ 
answer, he was filled with wonder and surprize that Jesus could know 
what he had been doing and where he had been staying before Philip 
called him. At once he believed that only God can see all things, and 
can reveal them to men, so he exclaimed joyfully, “Master, you are 
the Son of God ! you are the King of Israel ! ’ ’ 

Jesus replied, “Do you believe just because I said I saw you 
under the fig-tree? You shall see greater things than these. Some 
day you shall see the heavens open, andj the angels of God all about 
the Son of man.” 


STORY 10 

THE WEDDING-FEAST WHERE JESUS SHOWED HIS POWER 

John 2:1-11 

In Oana, a little town of Galilee, lived some friends of Jesus and 
his mother. One day these friends invited Jesus, his mother, and his 
followers to attend a wedding in their home. They invited many other 
people also, and prepared a feasif for them. 

Perhaps these people were poor ; for they had not prepared enough 
wine for all the people who came to the wedding. And before the close 
of the feast the wine wias all gone. 

Mary, the mother of Jesus, saw that the wine had all been used, 
and she called Jesus aside to tell him about it. She knew of his won- 
derful power, and she believed he could surely help in a timje like this. 
Then she told the servants who waited at the tables to do whatever Jesus 
might command them ; for she expected him to supply the need in some 
wonderful manner. 

In every Jewish home there were large vessels, called water-pots, 
which the people kept filled with water to use in washing their hands 
and their feet. The Jews were very careful to keep themselves clean 
from] dust and dirt, and because they wlalked about everywhere with 
only sandals on their feet they needed often to bathe. In this home 
where the wedding-feast was being held, six large water-pots of stone 
were kept for this purpose. 

Jesus called the servants and told them to fill the water-pots 
with water. And remembering his mother’s instructions to them, the 
servants drew water and filled the vessels to the brim. Then Jesus told 


WHERE JESUS SHOWED HIS POWER 


409 



CANA, WHERE JESUS ATTENDED THE WEDDING 



410 BIBUE-STORY BOOK 


them to draw out from the vessels and fill their wine-pitchers again. 
When they obeyed they saw that wine flowed from the vessels they 
had just filled with water. 

At these Jewish feasts one man was chosen to be the governor, or 
ruler of the feast. He tasted the food and the Wine before it was placed 

on the tables to serve the 
people. Jesus told the 
servants to take this wine 
to the governor and have 
him taste it, just as he had 
tasted the first wine that 
had been served to the 
guests. 

Now the governor dia 1 
not know what Jesus had 
done. He did not know 
that the other wine had all 
been used and there was 
no more to be had. When 
he tasted the wine which 
Jesus had made from 
water he was surprized 
because it ms so m^uch 
better than the first wine 
which had been served. 
Calling the young man 
who had just been mar- 
ried, the governor said, 
“At other wedding-feasts 
the best wine is served 
first, but you have kept the 
best until the last of the 
feast.’ ’ 

This was the first miracle Jesus performed, and it showed his will- 
ingness to help people who are in need. When the men who followed 
him saw what he had done they believed on him, for they knew that 
no man could change water into wine as he did. 


JESUS MAKING WINE OUT OF WATER 



THE GREAT TEACHER IN JERUSALEM 


411 


STORY 11 

THE GREAT TEACHER IN JERUSALEM 

John 2:13-3:21 

The time had come again for the yearly Passover Feast in Jeru- 
salem, and from every part of the land groups of people came flocking 
to attend this great religious meeting. 

In one of these groups were Jesus and his friends, Andrew, Simon, 
Philip, and Nathaniel. These men were also called his disciples, or 
learners; for they often went with him from one place to another to 
learn more about his wonderful teachings. 

You remember that only the priests were allowed to enter the rooms 
of the temple, and that the people who went there to wprship stood in 
the courts outside the rooms and prayed while the priests offered sac- 
rifices upon the altars. 

When Jesus came with his disciples and friends to attend the Feast 
of the Passover, he found much disorder in the court where the peo- 
ple were supposed to worship God. This beautiful court looked more 
like a market-place than like a house of prayer, for men had brought 
oxen and sheep and doves in there to sell as sacrifices to those who 
came from distant country places to worship God. 

And other men, who were called money-changers, were sitting by 
small tables exchanging pieces of silver money, called half-shekels, for 
the coins people brought from distant lands. Every Jew, we are told, 
gave one of these half-shekels to the priests each year to buy sacrifices 
and to supply other needs in the temple worship. No other coins ex- 
cept half-shekels could be received by the priests, so the Jews who 
came from other lands had to exchange their coins for half-shekels 
before they could pay their dues to the priests. 

Jesus was grieved to see the disorder in the temple court. He 
knew that wiorshipers could not enjoy praying in such a noisy place, 
where buying and selling and money-exchanging were going on around 
them. So he made a whip by tying small cords together, and then he 
drove out the oxen and sheep and the men who kept them. He even 
upset the tables of the money-changers, and he told them that his 
Father’s house was a place of prayer and should not be used for a 
market-place. 

No doubt other people had been grieved to see the disorder in the 
temple court at the time of the Passover feast. But none of them had 



JESUS TALKING TO NICODEMUS 

should see a sign, so he answered, 4 ‘Destroy this temple, and in three 
days I will raise it up.” He spoke about himself, meaning his body, 
which he knew the Jews would cause to he crucified, and which he 
would raise up from the dead after three days. But the Jews did not 
understand, and they thought he meant the temple on Mount Moriah, 
which Herod, the king, had rebuilt for them. They said, ‘ ‘ M]any years 
were spent in building this temple, and you say you could rebuild it in 
three days!” Then they shook their heads doubtfully and walked 
away, for they did not believe his words. 


412 BIBLE-STOBY BOOK 


ever dared to do as Jesus did at this time. None of them had courage 
enough to try to correct this great evil. 

But not all of the Jews were pleased to see Jesus drive the money- 
lovers and the owners of the oxen and sheep and doves into 1 the streets 
outside the temple. Some of them came to Jesus and asked him for 
a sign to prove that he was some great man, with authority to do such 
things. But Jesus knew they would not accept him even when they 


THE GREAT TEACHER IN JERUSALEM 


413 


At this Feast Jesus began to teach the people and to do miracles 
among them. And many believed in himi when they heard his words 
and saw the great works which no other man could do. 

One of those who believed in Jesus was a ruler among the Jews, 
a Pharisee. His name was Nicodemus, and he wlas a very rich man. 
There were many Pharisees among the Jewish rulers, and these men 
were proud and unwilling! to accept either John the Baptist or Jesus 
as being teachers sent from God. They themselves wished to be the 
religious leaders of the Jews and they despised humble men like John 
and Jesus. But Nicodemus was not like his proud friends. He heard 
Jesus teach the people who had come to worship at the Feast, and he 
believed that surely Jesus was some great man. 

While the other Pharisees were finding fault with Jesus, Nico- 
demus longed to hear more of his teachings. So one night he came to 
the place where Jesus stayed while he was in Jerusalem, and asked to 
have a talk with this man from Galilee. 

Jesus received Nicodemus gladly, and talked to him about the 
kingdom of God. He told this ruler that no> man could enter God’s 
kingdom unless he should be born again. Nicodemus wondered how 
this could be possibly, so Jesus explained to him the secret of the new 
birth, which we call .a change of heart. Never before had this wise 
ruler of the Jews heard such strange words, and he listened wonder- 
ingly while J esus told about the great love of God. 4 4 This love, ’ ’ said 
Jesus, 4 4 caused God to give his only Son that whoever believes in him 
may not die because of sin, but have life forevermore.” 

Then Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the story of Moses in the wil- 
derness when the people had sinned and God had sent fiery snakes into 
their camp. Nicodemus remembered the story, and Jesus said, 4 4 Just 
as those people who were about to die from the snake-bites found relief 
from their pain by looking at the brass snake that Moses put up on a 
pole in their camp, so the people who have sin in their hearts may find 
relief from sin by looking at the Son of man, who shall be raised up 
among them.” Nicodemus did not understand that Jesus was speaking 
about the cruel way in which he should some time be put to death to 
save the people from their sins. But Nicodemus did believe more 
strongly than ever that Jesus was a great teacher wlho had come down 
from heaven to dwell among men. 


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BIBLE-STORY book 


STORY 12 

THE TIRED STRANGER WHO RESTED BY A WELL 

John 4: 1-43 

Between Judea and Galilee was a little country called Samaria. 
This country used to belong to the kingdom of Israel; but when the 
Israelites were carried away as captives by the king of Assyria, strang- 
ers from other lands came into that country and made their homes. 

These strangers learned about the God of the Israelites, but they 
never worshiped God at the temple in Jerusalem. Instead, they built 
a temple in their own country and worshiped there. They became bit- 
ter enemies of the Jews, and at the time of Jesus they were still de- 
spised by the Jews. In going to or returning from Jerusalem, the 
Jews of Galilee usually would not take the shorter road, through Sa- 
maria, but would travel the long road, which led first to and across the 
Jordan River, then along the border of the land where the people lived 
whom they despised. 

Although Jesus was a Jew he did not share the bitter feeling of 
the Jews toward the people of Samaria, who were called Samaritans. 
|He knew they were just as precious in] the eyes of God as were any 
other people, and he longed to teach them about the kingdom of heaven. 
He did not mind walking through their country on his journey back 
to his home in Nazareth. 

Because Jesus wished to take the shorter road, through Samaria, 
his disciples Were willing to go that way too, in order to be with him. 
So they journeyed together as far asi a little city called Sychar. 

Near the city was a wayside well, which had been dug hundreds of 
years before by Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. And in honor of 
him it was still called Jacob’s well. When they reached this well, 
Jesus was tired, and sat down by it to rest from his long walk. His 
disciples went on to the city to buy food, leaving him there alone. 

Presently a woman from Sychar came down to the well to draw 
some water. She glanced at the stranger sitting there and saw that 
he was a Jew. Knowing that Jews paid no attention to Samaritans, 
she passed by and hurried to lower her water-jug with the long rope 
that she had brought. When the jug was filled she drew it up and was 
ready to start back to the city, when Jesus asked for a drink. 

Surprized at his request, the woman answered, “How is it that 
you, being a Jew, will ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria? for 
the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” 


THE TIKE® STRANGER WHO RESTED BY A WELL 415 


Jesus replied, “If you knew wlm it is who asks a drink from your 
jug of sparkling water, you would ask of him) and he would give you 
living water to drink.” 

These words aroused the interest of the woman at once. Who 
could this stranger be? she wondered. She knew he was not like other 
Jews, for they- would rather suffer from thirst than ask a favor of 
a Samaritan. So she said, “Sir, this 
well is deep and you have no rope to 
draw out the water, how then could you 
give me living water to drink ? Are you 
greater than Jacob, who gave us this 
well, and drank of it himself, and his 
cattle ? ’ ’ 

“Whoever drinks of this water in 
Jacob’s well becomes thirsty and re- 
turns again and again for more,” an- 
swered Jesus; “but the living water 
which I give does not come from such 
a well. It bubbles up like a continual 
spring within one, and that one never 
grows thirsty again. ’ ’ 

Now the woman was an eager lis- 
tener. She did not know that the living 
water of which Jesus spoke was his free jesus and the woman at 
gift of salvation to all people, and she Jacob’s well 

said, ‘ ‘ Sir, I want that kind of water so that I shall not need to return 
and refill my water-jug in this tiresome way.” 

J esus saw that she was interested, so he began to talk to her about 
her sins. He knew she was a very sinful woman, and he told her about 
some wrong things that she had done. She wondered how he, a stranger, 
could know these things. He seemed to see her thoughts and to read 
them all. “You are a prophet,” she exclaimed. 

Although this woman was a sinner,, she wondered often whether 
God Was more pleased with the religion of the Jews than with the re- 
ligion of her own people, the Samaritans. Now she asked Jesus whether 
people should worship God in Jerusalem or in the temple of the Sa- 
maritans. 

Jesus answered that God had planned to bring salvation through 
the Jews, but he said the time had come when true worshipers need no 
longer go up to Jerusalem, for they might pray to God everywhere and 
worship him. “God is not found in only one place,” he said; “for 



416 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK] 


God is a Spirit. And those who worship him in the right way must 
believe that he is a Spirit. ’ ’ 

Then the woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming from God, 
and when he comes he will tell us everything . ’ 1 

“I am that Messiah, ’ ’ answered Jesus, and the woman looked in 
joy and wonder upon him. But at that moment the disciples returned 
from the city bringing food to eat, so she turned away and, leaving 
her water-jug, ran back to tell her friends about the wonderful stranger 
whom she had met at the well. 

The disciples wondered why Jesus would talk with a despised 
woman of the Samaritans; but they did not ask him any questions. 
They brought food to him, and when he refused to eat they urged him. 
Then he said to them, “I have food to eat which you know nothing 
about.” They asked each other, “Has some one brought food to him 
while we were away?” But Jesus knew their questionings, so he said, 
<r My meat is to do the will of my Father, Whd| has sent me into the 
world. ’ ’ 

When the woman reached the city she went into the streets and 
told the people about Jesus, the stranger who had understood all about 
her life. “He told me all the things that Ij ever did. Is not he the 
Messiah?” she asked. And the people decided to see this man for them- 
selves, so they went with her to Jacob ’s well. 

Jesus talked with the Samaritans about the things of God, and 
they invited him to stay in their city and teach them more of these 
wonderful truths. He spent two days in Sychar, teaching the people. 
Then he went on his way to Nazareth, leaving behind him some believ- 
ers among the Samaritans. 


STORY 13 

THE STORY OF A MAN WHO HAD GREAT FAITH IN 
JESUS’ POWER 

John 4:45-54 

Many people who lived in the country of Galilee were eager to see 
Jesus. They had heard about his first miracle at Cana, where he turned 
water into wine, and they had also heard about his teachings and his 
miracles performed in Jerusalem during the Feast of the Passover. 
Now when he left Sychar and returned with his disciples to their coun- 
try, the news of his coming spread rapidly from one city to another, 


A MAN WHO' HAD FAITH IN JESUS’ POWER 


417 


and the Galilean people hoped he would come to their cities and perform 
miracles among them, too. 

But one man did not wait until Jesus should come to his home city 
before going out to see him. This man lived in Capernaum, a city that 
had been built on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He was one of the 
rulers in that city, and he was also called a nobleman. In the eyes 
of the poor who lived near his home he was a great man indeed; fotr 
he did not despise them, as did many of the rulers of the Jews. 

Sorrow had come into the home of this nobleman, his little son 
lay sick with a burning fever, and the doctors could not make him 
well. Hearing of Jesus, the nobleman decided to seek this wonderful 
prophet and beg him to come to Capernaum to heal his child. So he 
left his home one night and hurried to- Cana, where Jesus was. 

When the nobleman found the place where Jesus was stopping, he 
called to see the wonderful prophet of Galilee. He told Jesus about 
his sick child lying at home at the point of death, and he asked Jesus 
to go with him to Capernaum to heal the child. But Jesus answered, 
“Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe that I am 
sent of God.” 

The nobleman was very much in earnest. He cried out, “Sir, if 
you do not come down at once, my little son will be dead when we reach 
home.” Then Jesus spoke kindly to this distressed father. He said, 
“Return to your home without me, for your son will not die.” 

The nobleman believed Jesus’ words and turned back to Caper- 
naum. He did not fear any longer that death would snatch his dear 
child away from his loving care, for Jesus had said that the child 
should be well again. When he came near to Capernaum, his servants 
came to meet him with glad tidings. They said, ‘ ‘ Your son is no longer 
sick. ’ ’ 

“At what time,” asked the nobleman, “did he begin to get well?” 
And the servants replied, ‘ ‘ His fever left him yesterday at the seventh 
hour of the day.” The ruler knew that Jesus had spoken to him at 
that very hour, and he believed surely that it was the power of this 
prophet that had saved the life of his child. Not only this nobleman, 
but all his household, too, believed in Jesus when they heard about 
the healing of the sick boy. 


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BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 14 

THE ANGRY MOB ON THE HILL-TOP OF NAZARETH 

Luke 4 : 16-32 

A sad day had come for Nazareth, the city where Jesus had lived 
since his babyhood years. And this sad day had come on the Sab- 
bath. 

The Jews from different parts of the city were gathering in their 
house of worship, the synagog. Among their number was Jesus; for 
he had returned from his visit in Cana. Always while he lived in Naz- 
areth he went every Sabbath-day to the services at the synagog, where 
he heard God’s words read from the books of the law and of the 
prophets. 

Now, Jesus was no longer just an ordinary person among the other 
Jews of Nazareth, for they had heard about his teachings in other 

cities and they 
wished to hear 
for them- 
selves what 
this son of the 
carpenter Jo- 
seph would 
say. So when 
the time came 
for the ser- 
vices to begin, 
Jesus stood up 
to read to the 
people, and 
the minister 
of the synagog 
brought to 
him tlie book 
that the 

JESUS PREACHING IN THE SYNAGOG AT NAZARETH prophet I S a - 

iah had writ- 
ten long years before. Jesus found where Isaiah wrote the prophecy 
concerning the Messiah, and he read Isaiah’s prophecy to the people. 
These are some of the words he read: 



THE ANGRY MOB ON THE! HILL TOP OF NAZARETH 419 


‘ 4 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, 

Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ; 
He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, 

To preach deliverance to the captives, 

And recovering of sight to the blind, 

To set at liberty them that are bruised, 

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” 

After reading these words, Jesus closed the book, gave it back to 
the minister, and sat down. Then every one in the synagog looked at 
him, expecting to hear him speak; for the speaker in the synagog al- 
ways stood up to read God’s words and sat down to explain the mean- 
ing of what he had read. 

Among those who listened to Jesus that day were his neighbors 
who had known him nearly all his lifetime. Proud men they were, 
unwilling that the carpenter ’s son should teach them new truths. They 
had heard of the miracles that Jesus performed in Cana and in Caper- 
naum, the city by the seashore. But they did not believe that Jesus 
was the promised Rang of the Jews. They knew he was only a poor 
man, and they did not respect him for being great and good. 

But those proud men were surprized when they heard Jesus ’ words. 
They did not know he could speak so well; they did not know that he 
was the greatest teacher who ever spoke to men. For a while they 
listened very carefully; then Jesus told them that Isaiah’s words were 
fulfilled by his coming to preach the gospel to the poor and to do other 
wonderful things that Isaiah had promised. ‘ 6 How can this be true ! ’ ’ 
they asked of each other; “for is not this Joseph’s son!” 

Jesus knew they would not receive his words and believe them. 
He told them that no prophet was honored by his own people. And 
he reminded them of the time When Elijah, the prophet, ran away from 
Israel to hide in the home of a poor widow who lived in a heathen 
land. Because this poor widow cared for God’s prophet, God took 
care of her. He also told them about the heathen leper, Naaman, who 
was healed by God’s power when he obeyed Elisha’s words, although 
many Israelites had leprosy and were never healed. 

The proud men of Nazareth quickly objected to these words of 
Jesus, although they were true happenings among the Jews long be- 
fore. They believed that Jesus was trying to show them how God 
cared for other people besides the Jews, and they did not like to hear 
such words. So they refused to listen longer to his teachings, and the 
service at the synagog broke up in great disorder. The leading men 
ran to Jesus and took hold of) him roughly and drew him outside their 


420 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


synagog. Then a mob of angry people followed, wishing to see Jesus 
punished because. he had spoken the truth to them. 

This mob led Jesus to the top of the high hill upon which Naz- 
areth was built, intending to throw him down upon the sharp rocks in 
the canon below. B!ut the time had not yet come when Jesus should 
die for the sins of the people, so by his great power he freed himself 
from the grasps of the angry men and walked quietly through the midst 
of the excited throng. No one seized hold of him again, and he left 
them and went away to live in Capernaum, the city by the Sea of 
Galilee. 

The men of Nazareth did not know what a terrible deed they had 
tried to do that day; they did not know that their foolish pride had 
caused them to drive right out of their midst the gift which God had 
sent from heaven to earth. And because they refused to believe in 
Jesus as the one of whom Isaiah had written, they never received the 
gift of salvation, which Jesus brought to men. 


STORY 15 

FOUR FISHERMEN WHO LEFT THEIR NETS TO FOLLOW JESUS 

Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-34; Luke 4:33-5:11 

When Jesus returned from the Feast of the Passover at Jeru- 
salem, his disciples wlere with him, you remember. But after coming 
into Galilee Jesus went to his home in Nazareth and the disciples re- 
turned to their homes in Capernaum. 

After the proud men of Nazareth tried to kill Jesus, he left their 
city and went to live in Capernaum, too. Here he taught in the syna- 
gog on the Sabbath-days, and the people of Capernaum were glad to 
listen to his words. He did not teach them as did their usual Jewish 
teachers, repeating the same words again and again each time he spoke, 
but always his words sounded new, and just as if God were speaking 
to the people. 

One morning Andrew and Simon were busy at work in their fish- 
ing-boats on the Sea of Galilee when they saw Jesus walking along 
the shore. He called! to them, and they left their boats and followed 
him. Farther along they saw two other fishermen in a ship mending 
their torn nets. These men Were brothers, and their names were James 
and John. They were partners in the fishing business with Simon and 
Andrew, and when they saw their partners following Jesus they ceased 
their work, wondering where Simon and Andrew were going. Jesus 


FOUR FISHERMEN WHO FOLLOWED JESUS 



421 


FISHERMEN AT THE SEA OF GALILEE MENDING THEIR NETS 



422 


BIBLH-STOBY book 


called them also, and they left their ship at once in the care of their 
father and the servants who were helping mend the nets. 

Taking these four fishermen with him, Jesus returned to the city. 
And on the next Sabbath-day they went with him into the synagog, 
where many people had come to hear his words. 

Among the crowd who had gathered that day in the synagog was 
one man in whom Satan had put a very bad spirit. This bad spirit 
caused the man to cry aloud when he saw Jesus, and say, ‘"Let us 
alone! What do we have to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? I know 
you are the Holy One from God. ’ ’ 

Jesus was not pleased to have a spirit of Satan speak to him like 
this. So he commanded the bad spirit to' come out of the man. And 
the spirit threw the poor man on the floor before all the people, tear- 
ing him and crying with a wicked cry. But at Jesus’ command the bad 
spirit had to leave the man; for Jesus has power over all the power of 
Satan, to cast out the evil spirits that come to dwell in people. 

When those standing by saw what Jesus had done, they were 
greatly astonished. Never before had they seen any one with power 
to rebuke the evil spirits. They said to each other, “What thing is 
this? what new doctrine is this? for Jesus even dares to command evil 
spirits and they must obey him!” 

Quickly the news of this wonderful happening in the synagog 
spread to every part of the city, and everybody became interested in 
the great teacher who had lately comje to live among them. They were 
so glad he had come, and they wished to carry their suffering friends 
and loved ones to him that he might cure them of their sicknesses and 
diseases. So they began to plan how they might do this. 

Jesus had gone with his disciples from the synagog to the home 
of Simon and Andrew. When they arrived they heard that Simon’s 
mother-in-law was lying sick with fever. So they told Jesus about 
her, and brought him into the room where she lay suffering. Jesus 
came to her bedside, and taking hold of her hand he lifted her up. At 
that very moment the fever departed and strength came into her body 
again. She rose from her bed and helped to prepare food for the 
disciples and their wonderful teacher. 

At sunset the Sabbath-day closed for the Jews and then they were 
free to begin their work again, for they never did any work on the Sab- 
bath. When sunset came on this day of rest Simon and Andrew were 
surprized to see throngs of people coming towjard their home. From 
every direction Ihe people were coming, some with crippled friends 
leaning on their arms, and others with blind friends wal kin g by their 


FOUR FISHERMEN WHO FOLLOWED JESUS 


423 


side. Still others were carrying cots on which lay! their sick children 
or other relatives, and all of them were coming to ask Jesus to drive 
away the sicknesses and diseases and to make their friends and loved 
ones well again. 

What a busy time followed! Jesus was glad to help 1 these poor 
sufferers and to make them well. He touched them, one by one, and 
they were healed. He even cast out many evil spirits from the people 
who had come, and he would not allow those spirits to cry out like 
the evil spirit had done in the synagog. 

Finally the last group of happy friends departed from the door- 
step, and Jesus lay down to sleep in Simon’s house. How very tired 
he must have been! But after sleeping only a few hours he rose up 
quietly and left the city. He sought for a place where he might be 
all alone to talk with his heavenly Father, for often he prayed earnestly 
to God for strength and help to do the great work that he had to do. 

When daylight broke, people began coming again to Simon ’s home, 
asking for Jesus. But Jesus was not there. Simon and his friends 
began to search for Jesus, and they found him at his place of prayer. 
They told him about the anxious seekers who had come early to find 
him again, and Jesus said, “I must preach the kingdom of God in 
other cities also, for I am sent to do this great work.” So the disciples 
went with him to visit other cities in Galilee, and Jesus taught in the 
synagogs of those cities and cast out evil spirits, as he had done in 
Capernaum. And many people believed in him. 

After some time he returned again to Capernaum, and his disciples 
went back to their work as fishermen. But Jesus continued to teach the 
people who came to hear his words. One day he went out to the sea- 
side where his disciples were at work, washing their nets. Many peo- 
ple saw him leave the city, and they followed. Soon a great crowd 
gathered on the shore, eager to hear him preach. So Jesus asked per- 
mission to sit in Simon’s ship and speak to the people who stood on 
the shore. 

When Jesus finished speaking he told Simon to row out into the 
deep water and lower his net to catch some fish. Simon replied, ‘ ‘ Mas- 
ter, we have fished all night and have caught nothing ; however, if you 
wish we will try again.” So they rowed away from the land and let 
down their nets once more. This time a great many fishes quickly 
swam into the net and were caught. Simon and Andrew could not 
draw them out of the water alone, for their net began to break with 
the weight of the many fishes. They signaled for their partners, James 
and John, and the four men worked together. They had never seen so 


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many fishes in one net before. Soon the ship Was filled, and they began 
to put more fish in the second ship. Finally both ships began to sink 
with the weight of the fishes and the men. 

Now, the fishermen knew that Jesus had performed a miracle by 
causing so many fish to be in the net. Simon fell down at J esus ’ knees 
and cried, “ Leave me, 0 Lord! for I am a sinful man and am not 
worthy of all you have given to us here. ’ ’ But Jesus was not ready 
to' leave Simon. He answered, 4 4 Do not be afraid, for hereafter you 
shall catch men.” And Simon understood from Jesus’ words that he 
must leave his fishing business and follow the Master everywhere he 
went. So when the fishers made their way to the shore they forsook 
their ships and walked with Jesus from one city to another, helping 
him and learning daily more and more about the kingdom of God. 


STORY 16 

HOW MATTHEW THE PUBLICAN BECAME A DISCIPLE 
OF JESUS 

Matt. 9:9-13; Mark 2:14-17; Luke 5:27-32 

In the land where Jesus lived there was among the Jews one class 
of people whom all other Jews despised. This class was the publicans, 
or tax-gatherers, who worked for the Roman government. 

The Jews hated the Roman government because they wished to be 
an independent nation, having a Jewish ruler over them. For this 
reason they were eagerly awaiting the time when the kingdom of God 
should come. They believed the kingdom of God would be set up in the 
same country as that in which David used to live and rule. And they 
expected to become the greatest people in all the world when that king- 
dom should be set up. Any Jew who was friendly with the Roman 
government they hated, because they thought he was not being true to 
his own nation. 

For many years the Jews had believed God would send them a 
King who would deliver them from the rule of stronger nations. They 
did not understand when the prophets taught of Jesus’ coming to earth 
that he would come to free them from their greatest enemy, Satan. 
They seemed to forget that they needed freedom from sin’s bondage 
more than they needed freedom from the rule of the heathen kings. 

But the Jews who were more friendly toward the Romans, and who 


HOW MATTHEW BECAME A DISCIPLE OF JESUS 425 


worked for the Roman government, were called publicans. They took 
the tax money from the Jews, which the rnler at Rome demanded of 
them. And often they took more money than the Roman ruler called 
for. In this maimer they stole from the people, and becamje very rich 
themselves. And the people hated them, and called them sinners. 

Not all the publicans robbed the people by asking too much tax 
money from them. But because many of them did this, the people be- 
lieved that all of them were guilty of such wrong-doing. And they 
called every publican a sinner. 

One day while Jesus was passing along a street in the city of Ca- 
pernaum he sa\y a man named Matthew sitting at a publican’s table, 
taking the tax money from the people. Although Matthew was a pub- 
lican, whom other Jews despised, Jesus saw the heart of this man and 
he knew Matthew would make a good disciple. So he called this publi- 
can to follow him, and Matthew gladly left his money-table and obeyed 
the call. 

Matthew was also called Levi, for the Jews sometimes had two 
names. And after he began to follow Jesus he remembered his friends 
of other days. He believed they, too, would be glad to see Jesus and to 
hear his words. So Matthew prepared a great feast at his home and 
called many of his publican friends to the feast. He invited other peo- 
ple too, whom the proud Jews despised and called sinners, and then he 
brought Jesus and the other disciples to the feast. 

The scribes and Pharisees also came to Matthew’s house that day, 
though they had not been invited to the feast. They stood about in the 
courtyard or even in the large dining-hall, looking on and talking to 
each other about what they saw. This was not so rude as it seems, for 
this was a custom among those people and Matthew was not at all sur- 
prized when they came. 

These onlookers: began to find fault when they saw Jesus sitting 
among the publicans and sinners. They felt themselves too good to 
keep company with despised folk, and they were surprized that Jesus 
should eat with Matthew and his friends., So they called Jesus’ dis- 
ciples aside and asked, 4 4 How( is it that your Master eats and drinks 
with publicans and sinners?” 

Jesus heard the questionings of these fault-finders, and he said to 
them, 4 4 It is not well people who need to call for the services of a doc- 
tor, but people who are sick. And so I have not come to call righteous 
people, but I have come to call sinners to repent. ’ ’ He knew the scribes 
and Pharisees believed themselves to be too righteous to need repent- 
ance, but he knew the publicans and sinners realized that they were not 


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RUINS OF ANCIENT CAPERNAUM 






JESUS HEALS CRIPPLE AND A MAN'S HAND 427 


pleasing God. And they would listen to Jesus' words, and hurhble their 
hearts. Many of them would gladly forsake their sins and follow Jesus 
to learn of him. 

Matthew, the publican, became a very useful man for God. It was 
he who wrote the book called the 4 'Gospel According to Matthew," in 
the New Testament. And in this writing he gives us more of the words 
that Jesus spoke than do any other of the gospel Writers. 


STORY 17 

HOW JESUS HEALED A CRIPPLE AND A MAN WHOSE HAND 
WAS WITHERED 

Matt. 12 : 1-15 ; Mark 2 : 23-3 : 6 ; Luke 6 : 1-12 ; John 5 : 1-18 ' 

Not far from the temple, in Jerusalem was a pool called Bethesda. 
At certain times the water in this pool bubbled on the surface, and the 
people believed that it was being disturbed by an angel. They also be- 
lieved that at such times the water would cure the disease of the first 
person who might step into it. 

Many sick people, and cripples, and blind folk came to the pool 
and waited long for the water to move. And five, porches were built 
beside the pool, where these afflicted people might rest in the shade 
and wait for a chance to be cured of their affliction by bathing in the 
troubled waters. 

One Sabbath-day while Jesus was in Jerusalem he walked through 
the porches beside the pool. And there he saw the afflicted people who 
had come for healing. How many there were we do not know, but lying 
on a mat near the edgd of a porch was one man who had not walked 
for nearly forty years. What a pitiful sight he was ! Jesus knew how 
long the poor man had been crippled although no one told, him. He 
stopped by the man and asked gently, 4 4 Would you like to be made 
well?" 

Perhaps the cripple thought this a strange question. He answered, 
4 4 Sir, I have no one to help me when the water moves, and before I can 
crawl down some one else steps in." 

Then Jesus said, 4 4 Rise up, take your bed and walk!" The sur- 
prized man felt strength pouring into his weakened body and he sprang 
to his feet. Then he rolled up the mat and taking it in his arms started 
toward his home. How happy he felt! But he could not thank the 


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stranger who had spoken to him, for Jesus had disappeared in the 
crowd. 

Presently some religious Jews saw him carrying his bed. Because 
they believed it was sinful to carry burdens on the Sabbath-day they 
stopped him and asked why he was carrying his bed. He answered, 4 4 1 
was lying a cripple by the pool when a stranger* came to me and told 
me to rise up and take my bed and walk away with it.” 

“Who is this stranger’!” they demanded, for they were angry to 
think that any one should break one of the laws they kept on the Sab- 
bath. But the poor man did not know wfho Jesus was so he could 
not tell. 

Not long afterwards Jesus found the man in the temple, worship- 
ing God. And Jesus told him to sin no miore, lest something worse than 
his long affliction should come upon him. Then the man knew who Je- 
sus was, and he ran out to tell the people that it was Jesus who had 
made him well. 

The Jews were angry because Jesus had healed the poor man on 
the Sabbath-day. They did not care for the poor sufferer as much as 
they cared for their own pretenses to be righteous. They believed it 
was wrong to do even such a good work as, healing the sick on the Sab- 
bath. But Jesus told them that his Father worked on the Sabbath, 
and so did he. Then they were more angry than ever because he said 
that God was his Father. They wished to kill him. 

After this time the Pharisees became enemies of Jesus. They 
often followed him just to find fault. One Sabbath-day while he was 
walking with his disciples through a field of corn, the disciples picked 
off some of the kernels to eat, because they were hungry. The Phari- 
sees were near by, and seeing what the disciples 1 had done they came 
to Jesus to find fault. They said, “Your disciples are breaking the 
Sabbath laws, for they are gathering food to eat.” 

But Jesus told the Pharisees that God was not pleased with their 
regard of the Sabbath law that would not allow a person to do even 
what is right. He reminded them of the time when David ate from the 
temple the bread that belonged only to the priests, and God knew Da- 
vid and his men were hungry so he did not punish David for this act. 
He told the Pharisees that the priests and the Levites work every Sab- 
bath, when they offer the morning and the evening sacrifices. And he 
said, ‘ 4 The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day. ’ ’ 

When Jesus returned to Galilee, there were Pharisees in the city 
where he went to teach in the synagog. And again it was on the Sab- 
bath. Jesus knew the Pharisees were watching him. And, too, he saw 


JESUS HE AILS CRIPPLE AND A MAN’S HAND 429 


a man sitting by who had a withered hand. He called the man to stand 
up where every one might see him, then he turned to the fault-finders 
and asked, ‘Ms it lawful to do evil, or good on the Sabbath? to kill, or 
to make alive? If any one of you have a sheep and it fall into a pit on 
the Sabbath, do you not lift it out? And a man is more valuable than a 
sheep . 9 9 



JESUS HEALING THE WITHERED HAND 


Then he turned to the man standing before him and commanded 
him to stretch out his, withered hand. The man obeyed, and immedi- 
ately the hand was healed. The Pharisees went out of the synagog in 
an angry mood, wishing to kill Jesus ; but the man who had been healed 
went to his home feeling very happy. 


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STORY 18 

THE TWELVE MEN WHO WERE CALLED APOSTLES 

Matt. 10:2-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16 

Many people besides the fishermen and Philip and Nathaniel and 
Matthew 1 , the publican, followed J esus. His teachings were so wonder- 


JESUS AND THE TWELVE APOSTLES 

ful that others wished to be learners, or disciples, of him, and so they 
followed in his company from one place to another. 

But the time came when Jesus wished to choose from among their 
number twelve men whom he could prepare to help in his great work. 
These men he wished to send out to places where he had never yet been, 
and have them preach to the people in those places about the kingdom 
of God. 

Although Jesus could see the hearts of all men, yet he felt that he 


THE SERMON ON THE MOUNTAIN-SIDE 


431 


needed help from God to know which of his followers he should choose 
to* be among his twelve helpers. So one night he went away quietly 
and climbed up the slope of a mountain, where no one would be near 
to disturb him. There he knelt down to pray, and all night he prayed 
to God for help and wisdom, and for strength to do his work. 

When morning light returned Jesus was ready to choose his help- 
ers, so he left his place of prayer and joined the company of disciples 
who were waiting in the valley for his coming. From them he chose 
Simon whom he called Peter, and Andrew, the brother who first brought 
Simon to Jesus. Then he chose James and John, the fishermen who 
had been partners with Simon and Andrew at the seaside. Afterwards 
he, chose Matthew, the publican, and Philip and Nathaniel, of Caper- 
naum, and Thomas, and another James, who was the son of Alphaeus, 
and another Simon, also called Zelotes, then Judas the brother of 
James, and last of all Judas Iscariot, who finally sold his Lord. 

To these twelve men Jesus gave power to cure diseases and to cast 
out devils. He also appointed them to preach the kingdom of God. 
And he called them his apostles, which means, “ Those Who are sent 
out, ’ ’ because he sent them out to preach to other men. 

Of these twelve apostles we read the most about Simon Peter, 
James, John, Andrew, Matthew, Philip, and Nathaniel. Little mention 
is made of the others, except of Judas Iscariot, who near the end of 
Jesus’ ministry became untrue and betrayed Jesus by selling him for 
money. 


STORY 19 

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNTAIN-SIDE 

Matthew 5— 7 ; Luke 6 : 17-49 

After Jesus had chosen his twelve apostles, who were still called 
disciples, he took them apart from the multitude to teach them how to 
do his great work. Up the] side of the mountain they went together, 
and there Jesus sat down. His disciples stood near and he spoke to 
them. Other people also climbed the mountain to listen to the great 
sermon Jesus preached that day. 

In the beginning of his sermon Jesus said: “Blessed are the poor 
in spirit: for their ’s is the kingdom of heaven.” Perhaps he had been 
thinking about the proud spirits of the scribes and Pharisees. He 
knew that proud spirits will never receive his words and learn how 
to enter the kingdom of God. But people who are humble and who 


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do not believe themselves to be righteous without God’s help he called 
poor in spirit, and he said they are blessed because to them shall be 
given the kingdom of God, for which all the Jews were seeking. 

He also said: “ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be 
comforted.” These words sounded strange to the listeners, for they 
had never thought that blessings belong to those who are grieving 
because of troubles and sorrows. They did not realize how God loves 
to comfort the weary and sad. 

“Blessed are the meek:” said Jesus next: “for they shall inherit 
the earth.” By these words he meant that gentle people who do not 
lose their temper and allow thoughts of discontent to fill their minds 
will be happy and will enjoy the blessings God gives to all men. 

Then Jesus said, “Blessed are they which doi hunger and thirst 
after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Perhaps he wlas think- 
ing again of the proud Pharisees, who believed they were righteous 
in themselves and therefore did not need to repent of their sins and 
seek the righteousness of God. Only those are blessed with God’s 
righteousness who long for it as earnestly as they wish for food and 
drink to satisfy their appetites. 

“Blessed are they who show mercy to others,” said Jesus; “for 
mercy shall be shown to* them. And blessed are they who have pure 
hearts ; for they shall see God. And blessed are they who make peace 
among men, for they shall be called the children of God. ’ ’ These words 
the disciples understood; for they knew God will surely bless peo- 
ple who show mercy, and people who will not allow sin to enter their 
hearts, and people who bring peace where trouble is. 

Then Jesus said: “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the 
sake of righteousness; for their ’s is the kingdom of heaven.” These 
words sounded strange; for people who are persecuted are greatly 
troubled, and the disciples may have wondered how the kingdom of 
God could belong to them when trouble was filling their lives. But 
afterwards they learned how people who are being persecuted for the 
sake of righteousness can be blessed as citizens of the kingdom of 
heaven. And after Jesus had been crucified and had risen from the 
dead, they themselves learned what it means to be persecuted for the 
sake of righteousness. 

Jesus said that those who are so persecuted should rejoice and 
be very glad, because there is a great reward awaiting them in heaven. 
He reminded them of the persecutions that camje upon the faithful 
prophets, and perhaps they thought of Daniel in the lions ’ den, and of 
Jeremiah in the deep dungeon, 


HOW JESUS HEALED A MAN WHO WAS A LEPER 433 


In this wonderful sermon Jesus told the people how Christians 
should live. He taught them how Christians should pray, and how 
they should treat their enemies and their friends. He told them, too, 
about God’s love and care for those who trust him. 

At the close of his long sermon Jesus said: 4 ‘Those wlio hear my 
words and do them are like the man who builds his house on a founda- 
tion of rock. When the winds blow and the rain falls fast, that foun- 
dation of rock will stand firm, and the house will not fall. But those 
who hear my words and do not obey them are like the man who builds 
his house on a foundation of sand. When the winds blow and the rain 
falls fast, that sandy foundation will be washed out from beneath the 
building, and the house will fall.” 

Jesus meant by these words that people who will hear and obey 
his teachings shall be saved, and when the storm of the judgment-day 
comes they will be safe from harm. But people who hear his teach- 
ings and refuse to obey them will not be safe when the storm of the 
judgment-day comes upon them. 

When Jesus ended his sermon, the people looked at each other in 
surprize. They knew his teachings were more wonderful than the 
teachings of Moses and of the scribes and Pharisees. They wondered 
who could obey such commands as these: “Love your enemies.” 
‘ 4 Pray for them who treat you wrongly. ” “ Do good to them who hate 
you.” But they knew that Jesus’ words sounded as though they were 
the words of God, and by and by many of them learned that even the 
hardest commands could be obeyed by those who truly love the Lord. 


STORY 20 

HOW JESUS HEALED A MAN WHO WAS A LEPER 

Matt. 8:1-4; Mark 1 : 40-45 ; Luke 5 : 12-16 

When Jesus and his twelve disciples came down from the moun- 
tain, a great multitude of people followed them. These people had 
come from cities and villages in every part of Galilee, and some had 
come even from Jerusalem and from country places in Judea. 

Near this great multitude stood one poor man who had heard of 
Jesus’ power to work miracles. And he needed, oh, so much! to have 
a miracle performed in his body; for the terrible disease of leprosy 
had fastened on him and was eating his flesh. He was not allowed to 
live among his friends and relatives, for fear they might become lepers 


434 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


also. He was not allowed to come very close to any one who was not a 
leper. And what an unhappy life he lived ! 

When the poor leper saw Jesus and his disciples coming down 
the mountain-side, he thought, ‘ ‘ I wonder if this J esus will heal me . 9 ’ 
He decided to try him, so he ran to Jesus and knelt down on the ground 
at Jesus’ feet, worshiping him. Then he said, “If you are willing, I 
know you can make me well from this terrible leprosy.” 

Jesus looked on the poor man kneeling before him, and great pity 
filled his heart. He knew how this man was dying, by inches, of the 
dreaded leprosy, which no doctors could cure. He knew about the 
unhappy days this poor man spent away from his own home and loved 
ones. He knew, too, how careful every one was to keep aWay from a 
leprous person for fear he might become a leper also. 

- Jesus was not afraid to touch the poor leper. He reached out his 
hand kindly and said, “I am willing; you may be healed now.” And 
at that moment the leprosy left the poor man’s body and new skin came 
upon his flesh. 

The man sprang quickly to his feet, and the weary look had van- 
ished from his eyes. How he was well! How thankful he felt! No 
doubt the great change seemed too good to believe. But he saw how 
the leprosy was gone, and he knew Jesus had touched him and had 
sent healing power through his body. 

In the law of God that Moses gave to the people, he commanded 
that lepers should offer sacrifices of thanksgiving to God when their 
leprosy Was healed. So Jesus reminded the man of this command, and 
told him! to go to the priests in Jerusalem and make an offering to 
God. And he asked the man to tell no one about the healing. 

But soon the news of this great miracle spread over the country- 
side, and every one w|as talking about it. The poor man had been so 
glad that he had told his friends what Jesus had done for him. And 
his friends told their friends, and so the news spread far and wide. 
And many people left their homes and rushed into the country to see 
the wonderful person who by his word and by the touch of his hand 
could drive away the leprosy from a man whose body was full of the 
dreadful disease. 


HOW A CAPTAIN SHOWED HIS FAITH IN JESUS 435 


STORY 21 

HOW A ROMAN CAPTAIN SHOWED HIS GREAT FAITH IN JESUS 

Watt. 8:5-13 ; Luke 7:1-10 

After healing the leper, Jesus returned with his disciples to Caper- 
naum, where he had healed so many sick people at the close of one 
Sabbath-day. News of his coming reached the city before he arrived, 
and his friends were glad to hear that he would be with them again. 

Other people besides those who knew him were glad to hear of his 
coming. One of them was a Roman, called by the Jews a ‘ ‘ Gentile, ’ ’ 
because he did not belong to the Jewish! nation, or race. All people 
who are not Jews are called Gentiles, and this Gentile was captain of 
a band of one hundred Roman soldiers. He was called a centurion by 
those people ; but we should call him a captain. 

This captain, or centurion, was friendly toward the Jews. He 
treated them kindly, and was never rough to them. He even built for 
them a synagog, perhaps the very one in which Jesus had often taught 
the people on the Sabbath-days. And because of his kindness to them 
the Jews respected him although he Was a Roman Gentile. 

One day a servant of the centurion became sick. On the next day 
he grew worse, and soon it seemed that he could not live much longer. 
The centurion loved this servant and grieved because he was ill. Then 
news came that Jesus had returned to Capernaum. 

Now, the centurion had heard about the sick people Whom Jesus 
had cured, and about the evil spirits which Jesus had driven out of 
people’s hearts. He knew Jesus could heal his servant, but he felt too 
unworthy to go to Jesus and ask him to do this. He was a Roman, 
and he Imew that Jesus was a Jew. Perhaps he thought Jesus might 
not be willing to listen to the request of a man who belonged to another 
nation. He knew about the race-pride of the Jews, and how the relig- 
ious Pharisees and the scribes despised the Gentile Romans. He may 
have feared that Jesus would not be quite willing to heal his servant 
because he was a Gentile. But he loved his servant very dearly and 
he was willing to try some way to have Jesus come and heal him. So 
he called for the Jewish teachers in the synagog which he had built, 
and told them to go to Jesus and ask him to heal the sick man. And 
they gladly went. 

When these Jewish teachers, or elders, came to Jesus they told 
him about the centurion’s desire that he would come and heal the serv- 
ant. They told him also about the kindness of this Roman captain, and 


436 


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how he had built their synagog. “He is a worthy man,” they said; 
“for he loves our nation.” And Jesus went with them. 

As they were nearing the centurion’s home they saw some men 
coming to meet them. These men were friends of the centurion, whom 
he had sent to tell Jesus that he need not come into the house to heal 
the sick man. The centurion did not feel worthy to have such a great 
person as Jesus enter under the roof of his house, and he felt himself 
too unworthy to go out to meet Jesus. So he had sent his friends to 
carry his message to Jesus. And this was the message: “Lord, do not 
trouble yourself to come into my house, for I am! not worthy to receive 
so great a man as you are. Just speak the word, and my servant will 
be made well. I know you have powjer to command sickness to depart, 
just as I have power to command my soldiers to obey me.” 

When Jesus heard these words he was greatly pleased. He turned 
about and spoke to the curious people who were following, hoping to 
see another miracle. He said to them, “Nowhere among the Jews have 
I found such great faith in me as this Gentile captain has shown.” 
Then he told the friends of the centurion that the servant would be 
made well. 

When they returned to the house they found the servant healed. 
And they saw how great was the power of Jesus to heal the sick, even 
When he did not come near to the place where they lay. 


STORY 22 

WHY FOUR MEN TORE UP THE ROOF OF A CROWDED HOUSE 

Matt. 9:2-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:18-26 

Wherever Jesus w-ent, crowds followed him. In the streets, or 
even in the homes of Capernaum, many people gathered when they 
knew he was present. Some of these people were his friends, others 
were merely persons curious to hear him speak and to see him perform 
some miracle, while still others followed for the purpose of finding 
fault with him. 

One day while Jesus was in 'Capernaum so many people came to 
the house where he was staying that they left no room for others to 
enter. Among them, as usual, were his disciples and friends, the curi- 
osity-seekers, and the fault-finders. These fault-finders were scribes 
and Pharisees who had come from far-off places toi hear him. They 
had heard many reports about his wonderful teachings, and they wished 


WHY FOUR MEN TORE UP THE ROOF OF A HOUSE 437 


to hear him for themselves. As he talked, they sat near by, watching 
every move he made. 

Into that crowded room sick people hadl been brought, and Jesus 
healed them all. Then while he preached about the kingdom of God 
the listeners were surprized to hear a scrambling overhead. Pres- 
ently the roof began to part, and the people saw a queer-looking object 
being lowered from the ceiling. Then they recognized the form of a 
crippled man lying on a bed. 

On the roof were the four friends of this crippled man. They had 
tried to bring him to Jesus; but when they had carried him as far as 
the door they saw that it would not be possible to push with their bur- 
den through the crowd. Yet they were determined to bring this suf- 
fering man to the great healer. The mian was not able to move himself 
about, and day after day he had lain upon his bed because of the 
disease that had made him so weak and helpless. 

When the crowd had refused to make way for them to pass, the 
four friends carried the man up oni the flat roof of the house. Then 
they tore up the roof tiling and saw where Jesus stood. This done, 
they tied ropes about the bed on which the man lay, and lowered the 
bed very carefully into the room, before Jesus. 

Of course the service w|as interrupted when the sick man was be- 
ing lowered by the ropes from the roof. The onlookers wondered what 
Jesus would do. Perhaps some of them knew this sick man. They 
were all surprized when they heard Jesus say to him, ‘ ‘ Son, be of good 
cheer, for your sins are forgiven. ’ ’ 

The look of pain left the sick mjan’s face and a happy smile came 
instead. But the astonished people were not watching him. They 
were looking in surprize at the one who had dared to say, “Your sins 
are forgiven.” They knew God had power to forgive sins, but they 
did not know that Jesus was the Son of God. The fault-finders began 
to say in their hearts, “Who is this who pretends to forgive sins? 
None except God can do that ! ’ ’ 

Jesus knew, their thoughts, and he said, “Why do you think evil 
of me in your hearts ? Is it easier to tell the man that his sins are for- 
given, or to tell him to rise up from his bed and walk? Thai you may 
know I have powjer on earth to forgive sins too [then Jesus turned to 
the helpless man lying on the couch before him and said], Arise, take 
up your bed and return to your own house.” 

Immediately the stiffness departed from the sick man’s limbs 
and strength came into his body. Then he rose up in the presence of 
all the people, rolled up the couch, or mat, upon which he had lain for 


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BIBLEi-STORY BOOK 


many days, and lifted it up on his shoulders, just as well men carried 
their beds in that country. The surprized people made way for him, 
and he walked out through their midst into the street to join his happy 
friends. 

Great fear came upon the people in that crowded house. They 
glorified God, and said, to each other as they hurried home, “ Surely 
we have seen strange things today!” 


STORY 23 

WHEN A WIDOW’S SORROW WAS CHANGED INTO JOY 

Luke 7:11-18 

In the city of Nain, in Galilee, lived a woman who was a widow. 
She had only one child, a, youth entering manhood. No doubt she often 
looked proudly at him and thought the time would soon come when he 
could provide for her needs as well as for his own. Then one day the 
young man fell sick. 

This was a sad time for the wlidow, and day after day she watched 
at the bedside of her son, hoping to see a change for the better. Ten- 
derly she nursed him ; but in spite of all her loving care he only grew 
worse. Then one day he died. 

Now the widow’s home was broken up; for both her husband and 
her son were dead. How unhappy she felt ! Her neighbors and friends 
came in to weep with her and to plan for the funeral. They wrapped 
long strips of linen cloth around the lifeless body and placed it on a 
frame, called a bier. Then they took up the bier and started with it 
to the burial-place outside the city gate. 

Many people followed the bier, and the mourners wept aloud as 
the procession moved slowly toward the burial-place. Outside the gate 
they suddenly stopped. Everybody wondered what had happened. 
Then they saw: a great crowd coming toward themi, and walking in front 
of the crowd was Jesus and his twelve disciples. 

When Jesus saw the grief of the widow he was touched with pity 
for her. He knew how deep was her sorrow, and he wished to help, so 
he spoke kindly to her and said, “Do not weep.” Then he stepped 
up to the bier, and the men who carried it looked at him. They were 
astonished when they heard him speak to the lifeless form that was 
lying so cold and helpless upon the frame. But at Jesus’ words, 
“Young man, I tell you to arise!” they saw the lifeless body rise to a 


A WIDOW’S 


SORROW CHANGED INTO JOY 



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sitting position, and they heard the voice which death had stilled speak 
to them again. What a glad surprize this was ! Quickly they unwrapped 
the long strips of linen cloth from the young man’s body, and Jesus 
took him to his mother. 

Now the cries of mourning ceased and a great silence fell over the 
people. They could hardly believe their own eyes. But soon they were 
convinced that Jesus had raised the dead young man to life again, and 
they began to rejoice. “A great prophet is come among us!” they 
exclaimed with delight. Others cried, “Surely God has visited his 
people!” for they believed that only the power of God could overcome 
death, and they believed God had come to them in the form of the man 
Jesus. 

News of this great miracle quickly spread through the country 
and traveled far and wide. Even John the Baptist, shut up in the 
dreary prison where Herod had placed him, heard what Jesus had done. 
He longed to see and to know m;ore about these things, so he asked two 
friends who had comje to visit him at the prison if they would not go 
to Jesus and find out whether Jesus w^as really the Savior whom God 
had promised to send. 

The men hurried to Jesus with John’s question, and while they 
waited for an answer many afflicted people crowded close to the place 
where they stood and begged for healing. There were cripples, and 
blind folk, and lepers, and deaf people, and even some in whose bodies 
evil spirits were dwelling. One by one Jesus healed them, and cast 
out the evil spirits and sent them away. Then he turned to the in- 
quirers who had come from' John’s lonely prison and said, “Go back, 
and tell John what you have seen; how the blind see, the lame walk, 
the deaf hear, the lepers are cured, the dead are raised to life, the evil 
spirits are cast out, and to the poor people the glad news of the kingdom 
is preached.” 

The men took this message back to John, and no doubt his heart 
was glad to hear about the wionderful workings of Jesus. Not long 
after this time Herod commanded that John should be killed, and his 
friends who came often to comfort him in the lonely prison took up 
his body and buried it. Then they came and told Jesus what Herod 
had done. 


A PHARISEE, A SINEUL WOMAN, AND THE! SAVIOR 441 


STORY 24 

A PHARISEE, A SINFUL WOMAN, AND THE SAVIOR 

Luke 7:36-50 

In one of the cities of Galilee where Jesus was teaching the people 
a Pharisee named Simon came to hear him. Like many of the other 
Pharisees, Simon tried to- find fault with Jesus. Because he could 
neither see nor hear anything to criticize in Jesus, he decided to ask 
this teacher to take dinner at his house. There he would watch him 
closely, and possibly find something that would be wrong. 

So Simon the Pharisee asked Jesus to come to his house one day, 
and Jesus went with him. Other people went, too, some who were 
invited and some who were not. And they all came into the dining- 
hall, where the food was placed on the table. Around this table the 
guests were given room, while the uninvited persons stood back, look- 
ing on. 

Jesus and the other guests did not sit on chairs about the table, 
but they lay on couches with their heads near the table and their feet 
away from it. While they were eating, another uninvited person came 
into the dining-hall. This person was a woman. Looking about, she 
espied Jesus, and at once she hurried to kneel at his feet. Then she 
wept tears of sorrow for her many sins, and the tears fell upon Jesus’ 
feet. She dried his feet with her hair, and kissed them'. Afterwards 
she broke a beautiful box of costly perfume and anointed his feet by 
pouring the perfume upon them. 

Simon, the Pharisee, knew. this woman; for she was a great sinner. 
He had heard many things about her that were not good. He was 
surprized when he saw* that Jesus allowed her to weep at his feet and 
to anoint them with sweet perfume. He said in his heart, “If Jesus 
were a prophet he would not allow this woman to come near him. He 
would know that she is a wretched sinner, unfit to be in his presence. ’ ’ 

Jesus knew all about this sinful woman, and he also knew 1 about 
Simon’s thoughts. He looked at the proud Pharisee and said, “Simon, 
I have something to tell you.” 

Simon answered very politely, “Master, what is it?” Then Jesus 
told him this story: 

‘ ‘ There was a certain rich man who had loaned money to two poor 
men. The first man he loaned a great sum of money, and the second 
man he loaned only a small amount. When the time came to repay the 
loan, neither of the two men could pay back the money they had bor- 


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rowed. In their distress they came to the rich man, and he freely for- 
gave them both. Which of these two men loved the rich man the more ? ’ ’ 
* “I suppose,” answered Simon, “that the man whom he forgave 
the bigger debt loved him the more.” 

“You have answered rightly,” said Jesus. Then he turned to the 
sinful woman still weeping at his feet, and said, ‘ ‘ Simon, when I came 
into your home you did not treat me like an honored guest. You did 
not give me water to wash the dust from my feet ; but this woman has 
washed my feet with her tears and has dried them with the hair of her 
head. You did not givej me a kiss of welcome; but this woman has 
kissed my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, as you anoint 
the heads of your friends w|ho come as guests into your home ; hut this 
woman has poured costly ointment upon my feet. Wherefore I tell 
you that her sins, which were many, are forgiven; for she has loved 
much. But those love little who have little forgiven them.” 

Jesus then told the woman that her sins were forgiven; that her 
faith had brought forgiveness, and she should go home in peace. 

This woman was sorry because she had done wrong, and Jesus for- 
gave the wrong which she had done. But Simon, the proud Pharisee, 
believed that he was too good to need forgiveness for sin and Jesus did 
not forgive him. Only those who are sorry for their sins can know the 
forgiveness of Jesus, the Savior. 


STORY 25 

STORY-SERMONS BY THE SEA 

Matt. 13:1-53 ; Mark 4:1-34 

Helpful stories lessons teach 
To the thoughtful mind; 

Jesus told them, and in each 
Some great truth we find. 

One day Jesus went out of Capernaum! with his disciples and 
walked by the seaside. Great crowds followed along the beach; for 
they thought he might be going away from their city again, and they 
wished to go with him. They pressed so close behind that Jesus stepped 
into a boat at the water’s edge and sat down to teach them, while they 
stood listening on the shore. 

Jesus began to teach them by parables. These parables were 
short stories which he told to show them truths of the gospel. While 


STORY-SERMONS BY THE SEA 


443 


lie sat in the boat he told them four parables. The first one was about 
the man who went out to scatter seeds in his field. Jesus called him a 
sower. And here is the story: 

4 4 One day a sower went out to the field with a bag of grain and be- 
gan to scatter the seeds upon the ground. The breeze caught each 
handful he threw while wialking to and fro, and helped to scatter the 
grain. But some of the seeds blew upon the roadside. The birds fly- 
ing overhead saw them lying uncovered on the hard ground, so they 
flew down and ate the seeds. Other seeds fell upon stony places, where 
the soil was so shallow they could take no deep root, and soon) they 
withered after they had sprouted and begun to grow. Still other seeds 
fell in thorny places, and the thorns grew so fast that they choked out 
the good seed and it died. 

4 4 But not all the seed was wasted; for some of it fell into good 
ground, and there it sprouted and sent its roots down deep into the 
rich soil. By and by it grew up into stalks of grain that yielded many 
times more seeds than were first scattered on the ground.” 

The disciples wondered what this story might mean. They did 
not know why Jesus was telling stories instead of preaching sermons 
that the people could understand. So they came to Jesus in the boat 
and asked, 4 4 Why are you teaching the people with these parables ?” 
Jesus answered, 4 4 Because I know you will seek to understand the 
meaning of them, for it is given to you to know the meaning of the deep 
truths of the kingdom of heaven. Others who hear the stories will not 
seek to understand the meaning of them, for they are not careful to pre- 
pare their hearts to receive the forgiveness of their sins. The prophet 
Isaiah spoke of them when he said, 4 By hearing ye shall hear and not 
understand; and seeing ye shall see and not know.’ Their eyes are 
closed, so they can not see the salvation God has sent into the world; 
and their ears are stopped, so they can not hear the good news of sal- 
vation and receive it into their hearts. But blessed are your eyes, for 
they see; and blessed are your ears, for they hear.” 

Then Jesus explained to the disciples the meaning of the story 
about the sower and his seed. 

4 4 The sower/ ’ he said, 4 4 is the one who speaks the word of God, 
and the different kinds of soil are the different conditions of the hearts 
of people who hear the word of God spoken. Those who hear the word 
but do not seek to understand it, are like the roadside by wthich the 
seeds fell. Just as the birds flew down and ate those seeds, so the 
evil one comes by and causes those people to forget the truths they 
have heard from God’s word. 


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4 ‘Those who gladly hear the word of God, but do not continue to 
obey it, are like the stony places, where the seeds fell but could not 
grow because they could not take deep roots in the stony soil. 

“Those who hear and receive the word of God into their hearts, 
but afterwards allow cares and troubles or riches and pleasures to 
crowd out the good truths, are like the soil where thorns sprang up 
and choked out the good seed. 

“But those who hear and who obey the words of God are like the 
good ground, where some of the seeds fell and sprouted and grew into 
stalks that bore much grain.” 

Afterwards Jesus told another story to the people. This time he 
said : ‘ ‘ The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seeds in 
his field; but while men slept an enemiy came to the field and scat- 
tered bad seeds everywhere. These bad seeds are called tares. By 
and by the good seeds and the bad seeds both began to grow. And after 
they became stalks, and heads of grain appeared, the servants of the 
man came to him and asked, ‘Did you not sow ( good seeds in your field? 
How then are these tares growing everywhere beside the stalks of 
wheat?’ The man answered, ‘An enemy has sown the tares.’ Then 
the servants asked, ‘Shall We gather out the tares?’ but the master 
said, ‘Wait until the time for harvest, lest while you pull up the tares 
you also pull up stalks of wheat. When all are ripened together, I will 
send reapers to first gather out the tares and tie them into bundles to 
be thrown into the fire. Then they will gather the wheat and put it into 
my barn.’ ” 

The third story Jesus told was about a grain of mustard seed. 
He said the kingdom of heaven is like such a tiny grain, which, after 
it Was sown quickly grew into a bush so large that even the birds could 
sit in the branches of it. 

Then he said, ‘ ‘ The kingdom of heaven is also like leaven, or yeast, 
which a woman put into her dough when she was mixing bread. The 
yeast soon worked through all the dough and caused it to rise light and 
make good bread.” Perhaps the women who heard this storv won- 
dered how the kingdom of heaven could really be like yeast. 

When Jesus finished all his stories he sent the people away, and 
afterwards he left the boat and also returned to the city. Then the 
disciples asked him to explain the meaning of the story about the tares. 
Jesus said: “The good seed are the people of God; the field is the 
world ; and the man who sowed the good seed is the Son of man. The 
bad seed, or tares, are the people of the wicked one, and the enemy is 
Satan. The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the 


FLOODED SHIP THAT DID NOT SINK 


445 


angels. Just as the tares are gathered in bundles and thrown into the 
fire, so the wicked people will be separated from the good people at the 
end of the world. Then the good people will shine as brightly as the 
sun in the kingdom of God, their Father. ’ ’ 


STORY 26 

THE FLOODED SHIP THAT DID NOT SINK, AND THE 
WILD MAN MADE WELL 

Matt. 8:23-34; Mark 4:35-5:20; Luke 8:22-40 

One stormy night a little ship tossed about on the angry waters 
of the Sea of Galilee. Far from the shore it had sailed when the storm 



ON THE STORMY SEA 


broke upon it, and the sailors feared they might never see land again. 
With all their strength they pulled the oars ; but the great waves dashed 
the ship helplessly about, threatening every moment to destroy it. 



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Several of the sailors in that company had seen the rage of the 
sea at other times when stormls swept over its surface. They knew 
the fearful power of .such a storm. They knew how helpless they were 
in the grasp of this tempest. While they were wondering what to do, 
a great wave broke over the side of the ship, flooding it with water. 
Now they believed that they would all he drowned. 

These frightened sailors w!ere the disciples of J esus, and they were 
trying to take their master across the Sea of Galilee. Darkness had 
come upon them, and with the darkness of night the fearful storm 
broke. But Jesus, tired from his labors during the day, had lain down 
to rest and had fallen fast asleep. He did not know about the raging 
tempest, which threatened to destroy the ship and its passengers. He 
did not know about the fright of his disciples as they battled with the 
storm. 

But when the great wave broke over the ship, the disciples remem- 
bered Jesus, lying asleep. They rushed to him and cried out, “Mas- 
ter, do you not care that we perish ?” Jesus aroused from his sleep, 
opened his eyes, and looked into their frightened faces. Seeing their 
alarm he rose to his feet and asked, “Why are you so fearful? Why 
do you have no faith?” Then he spoke to the wind, simply telling 
it to be still. And at the sound of his voice the tempest ceased at once, 
and the dashing waves grew quiet and calm. 

The disciples were surprized to see that their master had power 
even greater than the power of the tempest. They were surprized to 
know that even the wind and the waves obeyed the voice of the Son 
of man. And they asked each other, wlonderingly, “What manner of 
person is Jesus, that even the sea obeys him?” They did not know 
that he had helped the great Father-God in the beginning of the crea- 
tion, when the world was made, and the sea and the dry land were 
formed on the face of the earth. 

After the tempest ceased, the sailors brought their ship to the land 
of the Gadarenes, on the other side of the Sea of Capernaum. When 
they stepped onto the shore with Jesus, a man came running across 
the country to meet them. This man was in a pitiful state, for he was 
wild, living alone in the graveyard or wandering day and night through 
the mountains cutting himself with sharp stones and crying out in 
distress. Evil spirits from Satan had come to live in him, and they 
had made him so wild and fierce that other people were afraid of him. 

Even the relatives of this wild man had long ceased trying to do 
anything with him. For a while they had bound him with chains ; but 
when the evil spirits would begin to torment him he wlould break otf 


FLOODED SHIP THAT DID NOT SINK 


447 


the chains, tear off his clothes, and run away to the wilderness or to 
lonely places to cry out. 

The wild man came to Jesus and fell down before him to wor- 
ship. But Jesus knew that evil spirits were troubling him, and he 
commanded them to leave the man. The spirits talked to Jesus through 
the man’s mouth, and begged that he would not torment them. Jesus 
asked, “What is your name?” and the spirits replied, “Legion, for we 
are many.” A great host of bad spirits were dwelling in the poor 
man. No wonder he was in such a pitiful state. 

On a mountain-side near by a herd of two thousand hogs were 
feeding. The Jews were forbidden by the law to eat the flesh of these 
animals. But the people who lived in this land on the other side of 
the Sea from Capernaum kept many hogs for market, and they sent 
servants out to the fields to watch them. 

The evil spirits in the wild man did not want to leave the country, 
though they knew Jesus would not let them stay in the poor man any 
longer. So they asked to enter the hogs that were feeding on the moun- 
tain-side. Jesus gave them permission to go into the hogs, and at once 
the great herd of two thousand ran down a steep place and fell into the 
Sea, where they were drowned. 

The keepers of the herd were frightened, and they ran to the own- 
ers to tell what had happened. Soon a crowd of curious people came 
from the city not far away and saw the wild man sitting at Jesus’ feet, 
wearing clothes and no longer acting wild and unruly. A look of peace 
had settled upon his face, and his right mind had come hack again. 
Now he could speak and think and act like other men. 

When the people heard what Jesus had done for the man whom 
they had feared so much, they were greatly surprized. But they were 
not pleased, because they had lost all the hogs on the mountain-side. 
Perhaps they had planned to sell those animals for much money. Now 
they did not want Jesus to stay with them any longer, for fear they 
might lose other things. They did not think about their sick friends, 
whom Jesus might heal, nor about others among them who needed to 
have bad spirits cast out. They w!ere selfish people, loving their money 
more than they loved the people who lived about them. So Jesus saw 
that he was not welcome, and he turned to go awiay. 

The man for whom he had done such a great miracle followed 
Jesus to the ship and begged to go with him wherever he went. How 
blessed it seemed to this poor man to be near the one who had freed 
him from the misery he hadj suffered! 

But Jesus said, “Go back to your own home, and tell your friends 


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what great things the Lord has done for you. ’ ’ Gladly the man obeyed, 
and from city to city he went, telling people about the wonderful power 
of Jesus, until many who had never heard before came to know of the 
wonder-working teacher in Galilee. 


STORY 27 

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO DIED AND BECAME ALIVE AGAIN 

Matt. 9:18-10:42; Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:41-9:6 

When Jesus and his disciples returned from the country of the 
Gadarenes they saw a crowd standing on) the shore eager to welcome 
them back to Capernaum. And again Jesus taught them and healed the 
sick folk they brought to him. 

Presently a man came running to Jesus, looking very much dis- 
tressed. He fell down at Jesus’ feet and cried, “My little daughter 
is lying at home ready to die; but if you will come with me and touch 
her, I know she shall be made well.” This man was a ruler of the 
synagog in Capernaum, and his name was Jairus. 

No doubt Jesus knew this man, for often he had taught in the 
synagog. Now he started at once to go with Jairus to heal his daughter. 
The disciples, too, went with him. And the crowd followed, eager to 
see another miracle. As they went, the people pressed close to Jesus; 
for every one was eager to walk as near to him as possible. 

In this throng was one poor w|oman who had been ill for twelve 
years. She had spent all her money in taking treatments from doc- 
tors, yet they did not cure her. Now she had no more money and still 
she was greatly afflicted. But she had heard of Jesus’ power to heal, 
and this glad news brought courage to her sad heart. She decided to 
go to him and be made well. 

How hard it was to reach him ! But this woman pressed her way 
through the crowd till she came very near. She thought in her heart, 
“I will not ask him to make me well; I will only touch the hem of his 
garment and I know I shall be healed.” So she edged her way closer, 
until she could reach out her hand and touch Jesus’ clothes. Immedi- 
ately she felt the healing power go through her body, and she stepped 
backward into the crowd. 

But Jesus knew what the woman had done. He knew about her 
earnest desiire to be made well, and he knew about her thoughts. So he 
turned around and asked, “Who touched me?” 


THEi GIRL WHO DIED AND BECAME ALIVE AGAIN 449 


The disciples were amazed at this question. “Why do you ask 
who touched you, when the people are pressing against you from every 
side?” they inquired. But Jesus answered, “Some one has touched 
me, for I felt healing virtue go from my body.” 

Then the woman knew that her act was known by Jesus, and she 
came trembling and fell down before him, telling her sad story. Jesus 
spoke comforting words to her, and said, “Daughter, your faith has 
made you well; go in peace.” 

Jairus stood by waiting impatiently for Jesus to start again. He 
was fearful that his little daughter might die before they could reach 
her bedside. And surely enough, a servant from his house came to meet 
them with the sad news that the little girl was dead. “Do not trouble 
the Master any longer, for it is too late,” he said. 

Jesus heard the message, and he saw the deep grief of Jairus. He 
said to the father, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she shall yet 
be made well.” So they journeyed on. 

At the ruler’s home many friends and neighbors had gathered to 
weep and to comfort the sorrowing mother. Jesus told them to cease 
their weeping, for the child was not dead, but sleeping. They did not 
understand that Jesus meant to say, “Death is only a sleep from which 
we shall all waken again.” And they scoffed at his words; for they 
knew the little girl had no life remaining in her body. 

Then Jesus sent every one out of the room except the father and 
mother of the little girl and three of his disciples. Simon Peter, and 
James, and John were the three whom he permitted to remain with 
him. When the others had gone out, he took the child’s hand ini his 
own and said, “Little girl, rise up!” At his command she opened her 
eyes and rose up to walk about the room. Jesus told her parents to 
give her some food to eat, and he asked them to tell no one what he had 
done; for already the people were thronging him, and news of this 
miracle would draw greater crowds than ever. 

When they left the home of Jairus, two blind men followed Jesus, 
crying out, 4 4 0 son of David, have mercy on us ! ” They followed him 
into the house where he was staying, and when they came to him there 
he asked, 4 4 Do you believe that I am able to open your blind eyes?” 
They answered quickly, 4 4 Yes, Lord.” So he touched their eyes and 
said, 4 4 Let it be done to you just as you believe.” And their eyes were 
opened so that they could see. Jesus asked these men to tell no one 
what he had done; but they went everywhere telling how Jesus had 
opened their blinded eyes. 

Afterwards was brought to Jesus a dumb man who had an evil 


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spirit dwelling in him. And Jesus cast out the spirit, and caused the 
man to he able to speak. Many onlookers were amazed at these mighty 
miracles of Jesus, and they said, “It wias never so seen in Israel.” 
But the fault-finding Pharisees said, ‘ 6 He does not cast out evil spirits 
by the power of God, hut by the power of Satan.” They were jealous 
of the fame that had come to Jesus, and they spoke evil of him. 

So great were the crowds who pressed to hear Jesus that he saw 
he could not teach them all. Then he sent his twelve disciples to preach 
in other cities, and he gave them power to heal the sick and to cast out 
evil spirits, and even to raise the dead. The work was too great for 
him to do alone, and he had chosen these men to help him. So they 
went to other towns and villages, preaching the gospel and healing the 
sick, just as Jesus had commanded them to do. 


STOBY 28 

A BOY’S LUNCH-BASKET, AND A GREAT MIRACLE 

Matt. 14:13-23 ; Mark 6:31-46; Luke 9:7-17; John 6:1-15 

A boy’s lunch-basket is a very small thing compared with a great 
miracle. But in this story we shall see how a great miracle grew out 
of a hoy’s lunch-basket. It all came about in this manner: 

The disciples whom Jesus sent to preach in the towfrs and cities of 
Galilee had returned joyfully, telling their Master about their success 
in healing the sick and in casting out the evil spirits just as they had 
seen him do. And now the fame of Jesus was increasing every day, 
and many more people from distant parts of the country were flocking 
to hear him. 

So urgent were the people who came to hear Jesus and to have 
their loved ones healed, that they pressed constantly upon him, and al- 
lowed no time for him to rest or even to eat. Then Jesus called his 
twelve disciples aside from the multitude and said, “Come with me to 
a quiet place, for we must rest a while. ’ ’ 

Taking a ship they sailed away from the multitude to the other 
side of the Sea, and went into a desert place near a mountain. But 
they did not find much time to rest even in this lonely spot, for 
soon they saw a great throng of people coming toward them. The 
multitude had followed from the other side of the Sea. Perhaps the 
disciples were disappointed because the people had found them again, 
but Jesus looked pityingly upon the great throng, and said of them, 
















A BOY’S LUNCH-BASKET, AND A GREAT MIRACLE 451 


“They are like sheep that have no shepherd. They wander about 
here and there hunting for their own pasture-grounds.” 

In this great throng were five thousand men, who had come from 
different parts of Galilee. Some of them had brought their wives and 
children along, and other women had come, too. When they had started 
they did not know they would have to go so very far to find Jesus, and 
many of them had brought nothing to eat. One boy, however, had not 
forgotten his lunch-basket, and in his basket he carried five little loaves 
of barley bread and two small fishes. 

When the multitude came near, Jesus received them kindly and 
sat down to teach them again. He healed the sick ones whom they had 
brought to him, and taught them many things about the kingdom of 
heaven. 

After a while the day wore on and evening came. Still the people 
lingered near, seeming to forget they could find no food or shelter in 
the desert place. The disciples grew impatient with them and came to 
ask Jesus to send them away. “They have brought no food,” said the 
disciples, “and we can not supply food for them in this wilderness; 
therefore send them away that they may buy food in the towns and 
villages as they journey home.” 

But Jesus answered, “We must feed them before sending them 
away.” Then, turning to Philip, he asked, “Where shall we find bread, 
that all these people miay eat?” Philip looked at the great multitude 
and shook his head. “If we should buy two hundred pennyworth of 
bread,” he answered, “there would not be enough for each one to have 
a small piece.” 

While Jesus and the disciples were discussing what to do, the boy 
who had not forgotten to carry his lunch came near and heard their 
conversation. Then he showed his basket of food to one of the dis- 
ciples, and he offered to give the food to Jesus. The disciple, who was 
Andrew, came and told Jesus what the boy had said. “How many 
loaves are there in the basket?” asked Jesus, and Andrew said, “Only 
five, and two small fishes. But what will that be among so many 
people?” 

Jesus replied, “Bring them to me.” Then he told his disciples 
to bid the people sit down in groups, in some fifty and in others a hun- 
dred, and wait for their evening meal. While they waited, he took 
the little loaves and the fishes and blessed them and broke them into 
small pieces. He filled a basket for each of the twelve disciples and 
sent them to pass the food among the hungry people. Then the dis- 
ciples returned and again he filled their empty baskets. When all the 


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people had eaten, he sent the disciples to gather up the scraps that 
had been left over, and they found twelve baskets full of scraps. And 
every one in the great multitude had eaten enough to satisfy his hun- 
ger. The boy who had brought the lunch-basket to Jesus had all that 
he could eat, and he shared his little lunch with every one in the great 
throng because he had let Jesus bless his offering. 

This unusual miracle caused much excitement among the people. 
They wanted Jesus to become their king instead of letting the Roman 
government rule them any longer. They believed that he could set 
them free from the rule of the Romans, whom they hated. They thought 
it would be wonderful to have a king rule them who could feed them by 
working miracles. 

But Jesus would not allow the people to take him for their king. 
Although he was a King, yet he had not come to earth to rule an 
earthly kingdom. He commanded his disciples to enter their ship at 
once and return to the other side of the Sea. And when they left him, 
then he dismissed the multitude and went alone upon the mountain 
near by to pray. 


STORY 29 

THE MAN WHO WALKED ON THE WATER AND 
BECAME AFRAID 

Matt. 14:23-36; Mark 6:46-56; John 6:16-29 

While Jesus was alone praying on the mountain-side, the disciples 
were in their ship rowing toward Capernaum. And the multitude 
were returning homeward as they had come, walking along the northern 
shore of the Sea. 

After nightfall a strong wind began to blow across the Sea, driv- 
ing against the little ship. Row as hard as they might, the disciples 
could not make much progress against the wind. Higher and higher 
the waves dashed and rolled, and slower the vessel plowed through 
them. How tired the disciples were growing! Perhaps they were 
thinking about the time when a tempest swept over the Sea and Jesus 
had been with them, sleeping in the ship. Perhaps they were wishing 
for his presence now, to still this stormy wind that made their progress 
so wearisome and so slow. 

Far away on the mountain Jesus had been praying for several 
hours. But he had not forgotten his disciples. Perhaps he had been 
praying for them as well as for himself. He knew how much they 


THE MIAN WHO WALKED ON THE WATER 


453 


needed him when the strong wind began to blow against their little 
ship, and he started to go to them. Out across the water he walked 
as easily as if it had been land, and nearer and nearer he came to the 
tossing ship and its weary sailors. By and by he came very near, so 
near that they could see him through the darlmess, walking past them 
on the rough waves. 

Now the disciples were frightened; for every one had seen Jesus 
and they believed they had seen a spirit. They did not think he could 
really walk on water, for no person had ever done that. They remem- 
bered how God had parted the waters of the Red Sea for the Israel- 
ites to cross over on dry land, and how he had made a dry path across 
the J ordan River three times for his servants to walk upon. But never 
had they heard of any one walking on top of the water. This must be 
a spirit. And they cried out for fear of what they had seen. 

Jesus stopped when he heard their cry, and turned to speak to 
them. He said, “Do not be afraid, for it is I.” How familiar that 
voice sounded! Still the disciples could scarcely believe it was Jesus 
who spoke. Finally Simon Peter cried out, “Lord, if it is you, bid 
me come to you walking on the water. ’ ’ And Jesus answered, 4 1 Come. ’ ’ 

With a bound Simon Peter leaped^ over the side of the ship and 
started to go to Jesus. The other disciples looked on in amazement, 
wondering more than ever at the great power of Jesus on both sea and 
land. Presently, how- 
ever, they saw their fellow 
disciple beginning to sink 
in the rough waves, and 
they heard his voice call- 
ing frantically to Jesus to 
help. For Simon Peter 
had begun to look about at 
the stormy wind and 
waves, and just as soon as 
he took his eyes off Jesus 
he began to sink. Then 
Jesus reached forth his 
hand and caught him, say- 
ing, ‘ ‘ 0 man of little faith, 
why did you doubt V’ 

When the two came to the ship, the other disciples received them 
joyfully, and at once the wind ceased. Again the disciples marveled 
at the wonderful power of their master, who could perform miracles 



PETER BEGINNING TO SINK 


454 


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on the sea as well as on the land. And they came to him, worshiping 
him and saying, “ Surely you are the Son of God.” 


STORY 30 

HOW JESUS ANSWERED A MOTHER’S PRAYER 

Matt. 15:21-29; Mark 7:24-30 

Near the land of Galilee was a small country called Phoenicia. The 
people who lived in this country were Gentiles, and many of them 1 were 
idol-worshipers. But because they lived so near to the home country 
of the Jews, many of them knew about the Jews’ religion, which taught 
of only one great God over all. 

The time had come when Jesus wished to be alone with his dis- 
ciples that he might teach them deeper truths before he should die and 
rise again. So one day he took them for a long walk. They left Galilee 
and entered the neighboring country of Phoenicia. Here they went into 
a house, thinking that no one would disturb them there. 

But the fame of Jesus had reached those Gentile people in Phoe- 
nicia, and they were eager to see him. Soon the news of his coming 
spread through the neighborhood, and Jesus saw that he could not 
hide himself even in a strange land. 

Living in that neighborhood was one poor Gentile mother whose 
heart was very sad. She had a child, a little girl, who was tormented 
by a wicked spirit. This distressed mother had heard of the great 
healer in Galilee who cast out evil spirits and she longed to take her 
child to him. But she could not go. Then the glad news came that 
Jesus and twelve of his friends were visiting in a house near her home. 
Quickly she left her work and ran to the house where Jesus was. 

When she found Jesus she began at once to tell him about the sad 
condition of her little daughter. But the great healer of Galilee paid 
no attention to her at all ! He seemed not even to hear her. Then his 
twelve friends, looked scornfully upon her because she was a Gentile 
woman, and urged their master to send her away. Fearing he might 
do this, she fell at Jesus’ feet, worshiping him and crying, 4 ‘Lord, 
help me!” 

The loving heart of Jesus is always touched when he hears the 
cry of one in need. He pitied this poor woman. He knew she had faith 
in his power to heal her child, but he wished to test her faith. So he 
answered, “I am not sent to the Gentiles, but to the lost children of 


HOW JESUS ANSWERED A MOTHER’S PRAYER 455 


Israel. And it is not fitting to take children’s bread and throw it to 
the dogs.” The proud Jews called the Gentiles “dogs,” and no doubt 
this Gentile woman knew howi the Jews spoke of her and of her people. 
But she was now willing even to be called a dog if only the great healer 
would answer her prayer. So she said, “I know if is true that chil- 
dren’s bread should not be given to the dogs, yet we know that dogs 
eat of the crumbs that fall from the table. ’ ’ And she, a Gentile ‘ ‘ dog, ’ ’ 
wanted a crumb of the Jews’ healing bread for her afflicted child. 

Just a crumb of the healing bread 
With which the suffering Jews were fed, 

Just a crumb, she asked, just one — 

Would she, a Gentile^ be given none? 

Not long did this earnest woman need to wait for an answer from 
Jesus. He was greatly pleased when he heard her wise reply to his 
words, and he said, ‘ ‘ 0 woman, great is your faith in me ! And you 
shall receive just what you have asked. Go back to your home, for the 
wicked spirit is gone out from your daughter.” 

Gladly the woman sprang to her feet and obeyed Jesus’ words, 
for she believed that her child was well. And when she came home she 
found the little girl lying on the bed, resting quietly, for the wicked 
spirit had gone away at Jesus’ word. 


STORY 31 

WHAT A MULTITUDE LEARNED ABOUT JESUS 

Matt. 15:29-39; Mark 7:31-8:10 

Leaving Phoenicia, Jesus and his twelve disciples journeyed around 
to the country on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. In this same 
country Jesus had healed the man in whom a legion of evil spirits had 
dwelt, and had sent the evil spirits into the herd of hogs that fed on the 
mountain-side by the Sea. And the people had run out excitedly from 
the cities near by, to see Jesus and ask him to leave their land. And 
Jesus had gone away. 

But the man who had been healed by Jesus had returned home to 
tell his friends about the wonderful healer of Galilee, and everywhere 
he went he spoke of the power of Jesus that had made him well. And 
the people became interested. They saw the great change that had come 
over the man whom they used to fear, and they felt sorry that Jesus had 
been sent away. 


456 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Now when Jesus returned the second time with his twelve dis- 
ciples, a multitude of eager people gathered to see and to hear him. 
They followed him to a; dreary country place and for three days lis- 
tened to his teachings, and brought their sick folk to him to be healed. 
And Jesus healed every one who was brought to him. 

Among that number was a man who could neither hear nor speak 
plainly. Friends brought him to Jesus toi be healed, and Jesus took 
him aside from the multitude, put his fingers into the man’s ears, 
touched his tongue, then looked up to heaven and sighed, and said, 
‘ ‘ Be opened !” And immediately the man’s ears were unstopped so 
that he was no longer deaf, and his tongue was loosed so that he could 
speak plainly. When the multitude saw what Jesus had done, they 
were astonished. And they said of him, 1 1 He has done all things w'ell : 
he makes both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.” 

On the evening of the third day Jesus called his disciples aside 
and reminded them how long the people had been with them without 
food. He said, “I am sorry for them because they have nothing to 
eat. We can not send them away to their homes in this condition, for 
they are weak and may faint by the way.” u How can we feed them 
all in. this desert place?” asked the disciples. And Jesus answered, 
“How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Only seven, and a 
few little fishes.” 

Jesus then turned to the multitude and commanded them to sit 
down. When they had obeyed he took the loaves and fishes and blessed 
them, just as he had done when he fed the five thousand from the boy’s 
lunch-basket. And again the loaves and the fishes increased until there 
was food enough for every one. More than four thousand people were 
fed by this miracle, and seven baskets of food remained after all had 
eaten their fill. 

Then Jesus dismissed the multitude, and they returned to their 
homes with their sick folk made well. How glad they were that Jesus 
had come the second time to visit their country! Now they rejoiced 
with the man out of whom Jesus had cast the evil spirits ; for they, too, 
had been blessed by the healer of Galilee. 

From this place Jesus went with his disciples in a ship to the 
country on the north side of the Sea of Galilee. 


HOW PETER ANSWERED A GREAT QUESTION 457 


STORY 32 

THE BLIND MAN OF BETHSAIDA; HOW PETER 
ANSWERED A GREAT QUESTION 

Matt. 16:13-28; Mark 8:22-9:1; Luke 9:18-27 

Near Bethsaida, a town by the side of the Sea, lived a man who 
was blind. He had never been to Jesus, but he had heard how the 
eyes of blind people were opened by this wonderful man of Galilee, and 
he too wished to be healed. Ope day he heard that Jesus and twelve 
other men had come to Bethsaida. Then his friends led him to the 
place where the visitors from Galilee were stopping. 

Jesus did not wish to attract multitudes to himself any longer. 
Now he wished to have time to be alone with his disciples. So he would 
not heal the blind man in the place where they brought him, but took 
the man by the hand and led him out of town. Alone with him, he 
placed his hands upon the blind eyes, then asked whether the man 
could see. 

At first the man could not see clearly. He answered, “I see men 
walking about, but they look like trees walking.” Jesus touched his 
eyes again, and they were made well. Then Jesus told him to return 
to his home alone, and tell no one about the miracle. He did not want 
a crowd to gather round, for he could not stay in Bethsaida to teach 
them. 

From this place Jesus and his disciples journeyed north, to a city 
called Caesarea Philippi, not far from Mount Hermon. On their way 
Jesus asked the disciples some questions. First he asked, “Who do 
men say that I am?” The disciples answered, 4 4 Some say you are 
Elijah, the prophet, come back to earth; some think you are John the 
Baptist risen from the dead; others believe you are Jeremiah, the old 
prophet, or another of the old prophets who used to teach their fathers 
long ago.” 

Then Jesus asked, “But who do you men believe that I am?” 
And Simon Peter answered boldly, “We believe that you are Christ, 
the promised Messiah and King, and the Son of the living God.” Je- 
sus told Simon! Peter that God the Father had caused him to believe 
this, for of a truth he was the Son of the living God. But he asked the 
disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ, for the time had not yet 
come for this truth to be publicly known. 

From this time Jesus began to talk to the disciples about the sor- 
rows that would come upon them at Jerusalem when he should be taken 


458 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


from them and put to death by enemies among their own people. The 
disciples could not understand these words, for they believed Jesus 
''would soon he their king and that they should rise to prominent places 
in his kingdom. They were displeased to hear him speak about dying, 
and rising on the third day. 

Simon Peter, who often spoke for all the twelve, took Jesus aside 
and said, “ These terrible things will never happen to you!” But 
Jesus looked sadly upon his disciples and answered, ‘ ‘You speak as 
Satan, the tempter; for your words are pleasing to man but not pleas- 
ing to God.” How much easier it would have been for Jesus to accept 
a throne and earthly kingdom than to suffer and die ! But never would 
he yield to Satan’s wishes, though he must suffer the greatest agony. 
But Peter and the other disciples could not understand. 

Afterwards Jesus called other people to him, and when they had 
come he began to teach them what it would mean to be one of his fol- 
lowers. He said, “If any one follows me, he must not try toi please 
himself. He must be willing to hear his cross. And he must not try 
to save his own life ; for he who saves his life shall lose it, but he who 
loses his life for my sake shall find it. And what is a man profited 
even if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul? And 
what will a man give in exchange for his soul ? ’ ’ 

These questions caused the people to wonder at his teaching. Then 
Jesus said, “The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, 
with his angels ; and then he shall reward every man according to his 
works.” 


STORY 33 

THE GLORIFIED MASTER ON THE MOUNTAIN-SIDE 

Matt. 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36 

It had been a long, hard climb up the rough slope of the great 
mountain near Caesarea Philippi, and Simon Peter, James, and John 
were very tired when at last they found a resting-place far above the 
quiet valley. These fishermen had not been accustomed to mountain- 
climbing, and no doubt they would have chosen to row a boat all day 
rather than to take such a weary journey. But Jesus, their master, 
had asked them to go with him to a place of prayer, and because they 
loved him they had followed. 

But now that they had come with him all the way up the mountain, 


THE GLORIFIED MASTER ON THE MOUNTAIN-SIDE 459 

they felt too tired to pray. So they fell asleep. And Jesus prayed 
alone. 

While the three disciples were sleeping, a great change came over 
their master. His face began to shine as the brightness of the sun; 
his clothing, too, gleamed as white as snow. And two men from heaven 
came to talk with him. They were: Moses, the man who had spent 
forty days alone with God on Mount Sinai when he was leading the 
Israelites from Egypt to Canaan ; and Elijah, the prophet who had heard 
God’s voice on Mount Horeb, where he had gone to escape the wrath 
of a wicked queen. Moses had written the lawt of God, which the Jews 
had as a part of their Bible ; and Elijah was one of the prophets through 
whom God had spoken to his people in other days. 

While these two heavenly visitors talked with Jesus, the disciples 
awoke from their sleep. How surprized they were to see their master 
clothed in such brightness and talking with Moses and Elijah! They 
gazed in astonishment upon the glorious scene before them. Then as 
Moses and Elijah began to disappear from their sight Simon Peter 
exclaimed, “Lord, it is good for us to be here! If you are willing, let 
us build three tabernacles— one for you, one for Moses, and one for 
Elijah.” 

But while Peter spoke, a bright cloud descended upon the disciples, 
and they felt afraid. Then a voice spoke from) the bright cloud and 
said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him.” 
When the disciples heard the voice they fell to the ground, trembling 
with fright.” 

After the voice spoke, the cloud lifted, and Jesus came and touched 
the disciples, saying, “Rise up, and do not be afraid.” When they 
lifted their eyes they saw Jesus only; for the bright cloud had van- 
ished, and the heavenly visitors, too, had disappeared. Now they be- 
lieved that surely Jesus is the Son of God. 

On the next day when they came down from the mountain Jesus 
told them to keep this Wonderful scene for a secret among themselves 
until after he should rise from the dead. The disciples wondered why 
he should be talking about pain, and grief, and death, when he, the Son 
of God, had been visited with such heavenly glory. But they were 
careful to tell no one about what had happened when they were alone 
with Jesus on the mountain. 

Now the disciples asked, “Why do our teachers say that Elijah 
must first come before the Messiah appears ? ’ ’ Jesus answered, i ‘ Elijah 
has come already, but they have not known him, and they have treated 
him shamefully. So also will they treat me.” And the disciples knew 


460 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


that he was speaking of John the Baptist, whom Herod had caused to 
be killed in prison. 


STORY 34 

A SUFFERING CHILD, AN ANXIOUS FATHER, AND JESUS 

Matt. 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-45 

The next day after Jesus had appeared in glory on the mountain, 
he came with his three disciples hack to the valley where he had left 
the nine. And he found them surrounded by a questioning throng. 

As soon as Jesus came near, a man ran from the throng and fell 
at his feet, crying, ‘ ‘ Lord, have mercy on my son ; for he is a lunatic, 
and often he falls into the tire, or into the water. And I brought him 
to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 

Jesus was grieved because he saw how little faith in him men had 
to heal such a pitiful case ; for the child was being tormented by an 
evil spirit, which would throw him down and tear him until he would 
foam at the mouth and suffer great pain. Now Jesus said to the trou- 
bled father, “ Bring your child to me.” So the man hurried to bring 
the boy to Jesus. 

When they came, the evil spirit seized the boy again and threw 
him violently upon the ground. There he lay in the dust, wallowing 
and foaming, and all the people were gazing in astonishment upon 
him. Jesus asked the father, “How long has your son been so afflict- 
ed?” And the father answered, “Ever since he was a small child. 
Often the evil spirit has tried to destroy him; but if you can do any- 
thing for us, have mercy upon us and help us!” 

J esus saw that this man lacked faith in his power to heal this son. 
He answered, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who 
believes. ’ ’ Then the father cried out, weeping, ‘ ‘ O Lord, I do believe ; 
help me to be rid of all doubt.” 

So Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the boy and 
torment him no longer. Then the spirit gave* a loud cry and, tearing 
the child, came out, leaving him to lie still and unconscious upon the 
ground. The people rushed up to the place where he lay, and said, 
“He is dead.” But Jesus stooped down, took his limp hand, and lifted 
him up. And the boy rose, and Jesus brought him to his father, a well 
child no longer to sutler the tortures of the evil spirit. 

Then Jesus took his disciples away from the people, and they en- 
tered into a house alone. Here the nine asked their master, “Why was 


A SUFFERING CHILD, A FATHER, AND JESUS 461 


it that we could not cast out that evil spirit V* Jesus answered, “Be- 
cause you did not have faith. However, this kind goes out only when 
you fast and pray.” And Jesus talked to his disciples about their need 
of having faith in God. 


STORY 35 

JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES IN CAPERNAUM 

Matt. 17 : 22-18 : 14 ; Mark 9 : 30-43 ; Luke 9 : 43-50 

Leaving the north country near Caesarea Philippi, Jesus and his 
twelve disciples journeyed back to Capernaum. As they Went Jesus 
talked with them again about the sufferings that would soon come upon 
him. He even told them that he should be killed and that on the third 
day he would rise again. But they could not understand. 

Soon the disciples fell to disputing among themselves which should 
be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. They still believed that Jesus 
would set up an earthly kingdom 
and that they should hold positions 
of honor in that kingdom. But as 
they disputed among themselves 
they said nothing to Jesus about the 
matter, not until after they had 
reached Capernaum. 

Now, Jesus did not wish to at- 
tract the crowds which flocked to 
hear him teach in other days, so he 
Went with his disciples into a house, 
and few people knew about his stop- 
ping-place. But while they were in 
Capernaum a man who collected tax 
money for the temple in Jerusalem 
saw Simon Peter and asked whether 
his master paid the tax, which every 
Jew was supposed to pay. Peter 
replied that Jesus did. When he 
returned to the house where they 
were staying, Jesus sent him to the 
seashore with a line and hook, and told him to look in the mouth of the 
first fish he should draw out of the water. “You will find a piece of 
money with which to pay your tax and mine,” said Jesus. Peter 



PETER PAYING THE MONEY TAKEN 
FROM THE FISH’S MOUTH 


462 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


obeyed, and found the piece of money in the fish’s mouth, just as Jesus 
had said. With it he paid the tax to the collector, and returned again 
to the house where Jesus Was. 

When all the disciples were come together in the house, Jesus 
asked them what they had been disputing about on the way to Caper- 
naum. They were ashamed to tell; but Jesus knew their thoughts and 
he knew, too, what they had said to one another as they walked along 
the dusty road leading from Claesarea Philippi. So he called a little 
child and set him in the midst of the group. Then he took the 
child in his arms and said, 4 ‘No one shall even be able to enter the 
kingdom of heaven unless he becomes like a little child. And whoever 
humbles himself as this little child is willing to do shall be the greatest 
in the kingdom of heaven. ’ ’ 

Jesus then told the disciples to be careful not to despise little chil- 
dren, for their angels in heaven always look upon the face of God. 
And he warned them to be careful lest they cause some child to lose 
faith in him, for he said, “It is not the will of your Father wlio is in 
heaven that one of these little children should lose faith in me and die 
in sin.” 

One of the disciples, named John, then spoke to Jesus and told him 
that they had seen a man who was not a follower with them casting out 
evil spirits in Jesus’ name. 4 4 We forbade him to cast out evil spirits 
any more in your name, because he wiould not follow with us,” said 
John. But Jesus replied, “You should not have done so; for whoever 
performs aj miracle in my name is helping me in my great work, al- 
though he does not walk with us.” 


STORY 36 

JESUS TEACHES PETER A LESSON ON FORGIVENESS 

Matt. 18 : 21-35 

One day Simon Peter camie to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how often 
shall I forgive my brother if he sins against me and then asks my par- 
don! Shall I forgive him seven times!” 

Perhaps Peter did not have much patience with a man who would 
sin against him often and always ask to be forgiven. Perhaps he 
thought no person could be truly sorry for his wrong-doing if he should 
have to ask so many times to be forgiven. 

But J esus replied, 4 4 1 do not say that you shall forgive him seven 


JESUS TEIACHEiS PETER A LESSON ON FORGIVENESS 463 


times only, but seventy times seven. ’ ’ How surprized Peter must have 
been when he heard this answer ! He may have wondered whether he 
could ever truly forgive a man so many times as that. 

Then Jesus told Peter a story about a king whose servant owed 
him a great amount of money. Finally the king called this servant and 
asked him to pay the debt. But the servant had nothing with which 
to pay, for he had spent all the rmoney. Then the king said, “Because 
you can not pay me the money you borrowed, I shall command that 
you and your wife and your children be sold, and that all of your prop- 
erty be taken away from you. In this way I can regain some of the 
money you borrowed and have lost.” 

The servant felt very sad when he heard these words, and he fell 
on his face before the king crying, “0 King, have patience with me 
and I will pay every penny I owe ! ’ ’ And because the king had a kind 
heart he felt sorry for the man. He told him to rise up and go away 
to his own house. He said, “I will forgive all the debt, and you need 
not try to pay it back. ’ ’ 

After this servant went out from the king’s presence he met a very 
poor man who had borrowed only a few dollars from him. He asked 
the man to pay it back, but the man could not. Then the servant be- 
came very angry, and seizing the poor man by the throat, he cried, 
“Pay back what you borrowed or I shall throw you into the prison- 
house and keep you there until you do !” Then the poor man fell down 
at his feet and cried out, ‘ ‘ Have patience with me, and I will pay every 
penny I owe.” But the king’s servant would not listen, and because 
the poor man had no money he threw* him into the prison. 

Other servants of the king were standing by and they saw how 
unkindly this poor man had been treated. They knew how the king 
had just forgiven the unkind man of a very great debt, and they felt 
sad because he had been unwilling to forgive the small debt of his 
poor neighbor. So they came to the king and told him 1 how unmerci- 
fully the servant had treated his poor neighbor. 

The king was surprized to hear that his servant whom he had 
treated so kindly should dare to be so unkind to another. So he 
quickly sent for him. Now the king, too, was angry, and when the un- 
kind servant came in he said, “0 wicked man, I forgave all your debt 
because you could not pay, and now should you not have been willing 
to forgive the small debt your poor neighbor owed! Because you 
have dared to be so wicked after I had pity on you, now I shall cast 
you into the prison-house until you pay all you owed me in the first 
place. ’ ’ 


464 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


When Jesus finished the story he said to Peter, “My heavenly 
Father has forgiven your great debt of sin ; but if you refuse from your 
heart to forgive the wrong-doings of those who sin against you, neither 
will my heavenly Father forgive your great sins against him.” 


STORY 37 

. THE UNFRIENDLY SAMARITANS; THE TEN LEPERS 

Luke 9:51-62; 17:11-19 

One day Jesus and his twelve disciples left Capernaum and took 
the south road leading through the country of Samaria. They were 
going to Jerusalem. Onj their way they came to a certain village in 
Samaria where Jesus wished to spend the night. So he sent messen- 
gers to find a place for him and for his disciples to rest. 

But the Samaritans in the village would not permit Jesus and his 
disciples to stop with them. They would not allow them to rest in 
their village. They knew Jesus and his disciples wtere Jews, and the 
Jews had often been unkind to their people. Now they, too, would be 
unkind. 

Two of the disciples, James and his brother John, were very much 
annoyed by the unfriendly actions of these village folk. They felt 
that their master had been mistreated, and they wished to see the vil- 
lagers punished. They remembered how Elijah, the prophet, had once* 
called fire down from heaven to destroy some wicked people, and now 
they came to Jesus and asked, “ Will you permit us to call fire down 
from heaven to destroy these unkind people who have turned us away?” 
But Jesus answered, “Your desire is not good, for the Son of man is 
not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Then he went 
with his disciples to another village. 

And as they went a man came to Jesus and said, “Lord, I too 
would follow you wherever you go.” No doubt he believed as did the 
disciples, that Jesus would soon be the great king of the Jews for 
whom so many were looking, and he desired to be a friend of such a 
great person. But Jesus answered, “Foxes have holes in the ground 
for their homes, and birds of the air have nests ; but the Son of man is 
so poor that he has not even a place of his own to lay his head . 9 9 

Farther on the road ten men who were lepers saw Jesus and his 
disciples passing by. These men had heard about Jesus, how he healed 
other lepers, and now they called loudly to him, for they stood far off. 


JESUS AT THE GREAT FEAST IN JERUSALEM 465 


They cried out, “ Jesus, master, have mercy on us !” And Jesus heard 
their cries. 

Never did Jesus pass by and refuse to help one who called earnestly 
to him. And now he stopped and called back to the lepers, telling them 
to go and show themselves to the priests, as Moses had commanded 
every leper to do who was healed. They understood what Jesus meant, 
and they started at once to go to the priests for an examination. And 
as they went the leprosy left their bodies and they were made every 
bit well. 

One of these lepers stopped and turned back just as soon as he 
saw that his leprosy had gone from him. Be ran to Jesus and fell 
down before him, worshiping him and thanking him for the miracle 
he had performed. And this man was not a Jew, but a Samaritan. 
The other men, however, hurried on their way, never stopping to thank 
the great healer. And Jesus said to the disciples, “Were there not 
ten lepers who v^ere made well? But where are the nine? There is 
none turned back to give thanks except this stranger who_is a Samari- 
tan.” Then he said to the man kneeling at his feet, “Rise up and go 
your way, for your faith has made you well.” 


STORY 38 

JESUS AT THE GREAT FEAST IN JERUSALEM 

John 7 : 2-53 

Summer had passed, and the cooler days of autumn had come 
again. On the green hillsides around Jerusalem mjany booths, or huts 
made of the branches of trees, stood in groups, sheltering the people 
who had come to attend the Feast of Tabernacles, held every year at 
this city. And during the week of the Feast the temple was crowded 
with visitors from other parts of the land. 

On the first day after the feast began groups of people stood to- 
gether talking about the great teacher in Galilee, whose miracles had 
caused much excitement in many places. They wondered whether he 
would come to Jerusalem and teach them there. Some of them wished 
he would come, for they enjoyed hearing him teach; others wished he 
would come because they hated him and wanted to find occasion to put 
him to death. 

By and by Jesus came, and straight into the temple he went, to 
sit down there and teach the people. His enemies believed this would 


466 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK] 


be a good opportunity to catch him, so they sent men to listen to his 
words and find some fault, that they might accuse him to the rulers. 

But day after day passed by and still Jesus sat in the temple, 
teaching all who came to him. No one attempted to drive him away, 
and no one took hold of him to capture him. Many of the Jews who 
lived in Jerusalem) knew how much their leaders hated him, and they 
wondered why these men did not take him now and shut him up in 
prison. They said, “Is this not he whom they seek to kill? But now 
he speaks boldly and they say nothing to him. Have they come to be- 
lieve that he is the very Christ f ’ 9 

But the rulers of the Jews, who were the. chief priests in the tem- 
ple, and the scribes, and the Pharisees, and the Sadducees, did not ac- 
knowledge that Jesus is the Christ. They were very jealous of him 
because he drew the attention of all the people who came to the Feast. 
They disliked his teaching because he accused them of only pretending 
to be righteous. And they sent officers to take him. 

Even the officers were pleased to hear the teaching of this wonder- 
ful man from Galilee. They listened carefully to his words, and they 
believed that he was not worthy to be punished. So they returned to 
the rulers without him. 

The chief priests and Pharisees were angry when the officers re- 
turned alone. They asked, “Why have you not brought him?” But 
the officers replied, ‘ 4 Never did a man speak like this man. ’ ’ And they 
would not harm him. 

The men who sent the officers were excited. They asked, “Are you 
allowing this man to deceive you as he is deceiving the other people? 
And have any of our own number of the rulers believed on him!?” 

Nicodemus, the Pharisee who had come to visit Jesus one night, 
sat among the angry rulers. He loved Jesus and believed in him. But 
he was afraid to let the other Pharisees know, for fear they would hate 
him, too. Now he asked timidly, “Does our law judge any man before 
it hears him and knows what he is doing?” His angry friends turned 
on him and replied, scornfully, “Are you from Galilee? Do you not 
know that no prophet comes from that country?” And so saying they 
dismissed their meeting and went to their homes. 


HOW JESUS ANSWERED HIS ENEMIES’ QUESTION 467 


STORY 39 

HOW JESUS ANSWERED HIS ENEMIES’ QUESTION 

John 8 

Early the next morning after the officers had failed to take Jesus, 
the scribes and Pharisees had planned another vtey to capture him. 
They would go themselves, and ask him a great question concerning 
the teaching of the law of Moses. Already they thought they knew how 
he would answer, and then they would have opportunity to find fault 
with him. 

Jesus was in the temple when his enemies came, bringing with them 
a' very wicked woman whom the law of Moses commanded should be 
punished by death. They went straight to Jesus and said, “Master, 
this woman is very wicked, and Moses in the law has commanded that 
such a person should be stoned until she dies. But wlhat do you say 
we shall do to her?” 

Jesus knew they were tempting him, and at first he paid no atten- 
tion to them. He stooped down and with his finger wrote on the dust 
of the ground. But those enemies would not be gotten rid of so easily. 
Now they believed they had caught him in a trap, and they kept ask- 
ing until finally he raised up, and looked*' at them and said, “Let the 
man among you who is without sin cast the first stone at her. ’ ’ So say- 
ing, he stooped down again and continued to write with his finger in 
the dust. 

The men were much surprized at his reply to their question. They 
looked at each other, then at the woman who stood trembling in their 
midst, and their own consciences reminded them: of their sins. They 
were afraid to pick up stones, for fear God might cause them to fall 
dead because they, too, were sinners. The older men shook their heads 
and turned to go away. The younger men, too, felt the accusations of 
their own guilty consciences, and they followed the older men out of 
the temple. 

When all the men had gone out, Jesus looked up from the ground 
and saw only the woman standing before him. He asked, “Woman, 
where are those men who accused you of this great sin? Did no one 
condemn you?” And she replied, “No man, Lord.” Then he said, 
“Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not commit sin any more.” 
So she, too, turned and went away. 

Many people were now gathering in the temple, and Jesus began 
to teach them again. He began by saying, “I am the light of the 


468 


BIBLE-STOIRY BOOK 


world: the man who follows mje shall not walk in darkness, but shall 
have the light of life.” And the Pharisees who heard him began to 
accuse him, saying, “Your words are not true, because you speak of 
your own self.” But Jesus answered that even though he did speak 
of himself, he knew that his words were! true, for he knew who had 
sent him into the world and w T here he would go when he should leave 
the world. He said, “You can not tell; these things.” Then he told 
them that another besides himself spoke of him in the same way, and 
that one was his Father. So they asked, “Where is your father?” 
Jesus answered, “If you knew me, you would know my Father; but you 
know neither me nor my Father. ’ ’ 

All that day Jesus taught in the temple, speaking very plainly to 
the Jews and telling them about their sins. And the displeasure of his 
enemies increased more and more, until finally they thought they could 
listen no longer. For Jesus had said that if any one would obey his 
words that one should never see death. Jesus meant that that one 
should never die inj sin and be lost. But his enemies did not under- 
stand, and they said, “Now we know you have an evil spirit, for Abra- 
ham is dead, and all the prophets are dead; and you say that any man 
who keeps your words will never die. Are you greater than our father 
Abraham, who is dead? andl the prophets, too, are dead: who do you 
claim to be?” 

Jesus replied, “I do not honor myself; but my Father, whom you 
call your God, he it is who honors me. You have not known my Father ; 
but I know him. If I should say I know him not, I should be speaking 
a lie. I know him, and I obey his Words. Your father Abraham was 
glad When he saw my day, but you do not behave like the children of 
Abraham. ’ ’ 

Now the Jews cried out, “How could you have seen our father 
Abraham, for you are not yet fifty years old?” Then Jesus answered, 
“Before Abraham was, I am,” 

“I AM” was the name by which God was known, and the Jews 
were struck with horror when they heard Jesus call himself by that 
sacred name. They picked up stones to hurl at him, but Jesus hid him- 
self among the people, then quietly passed out of the temple and 
walked away. 



WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BLIND MAN 


469 


STORY 40 

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BLIND MAN 
WHOM JESUS HEALED 

John 9 

As Jesus went away from the temple, where the angry Jews were 
getting ready to 'stone him, he saw a blind man sitting by the roadside 
begging. This man had always been blind, for he had been born with- 
out sight. And his parents lived in Jerusalem. 

The twelve disciples were with Jesus when he passed the place 
where the poor man sat. They knew he had been blind from his birth, 
and they asked Jesus whether this blindness had come upon him as a 
punishment for his own sin or whether it had come because of the sins 
of his parents. Jesus answered, ‘ 4 Neither this man’s sins nor the sin 
of his parents has caused him to be without sight, but he was born blind 
that the works of God might be shown through him. ’ 9 

Then Jesus stopped. Having made a little clay he rubbed it on 
the blind man’s eyes. Then he said to the poor man, “Go to the pool 
called Siloam and wash.” The blind man did not ask, “Why must I 
do this?” but he rose at once and groped his way to< the pool. Here 
he bathed the mud from off his sightless eyes, and immediately he be- 
gan to see. 

Instead of returning to the roadside to beg, the happy man went 
home to his people, telling the good news. His neighbors and friends 
and even his parents were greatly surprized, because he had been born 
blind and they had never expected such a miracle to happen to him. 
Many who saw 1 him could hardly believe he was the same man as the 
blind beggar whom they had known before. They said, “He is like 
the beggar.” But the man answered, “I am the same person.” 

The excitement in that neighborhood grew when the people heard 
that Jesus had opened the blind man’s eyes. They gathered round to 
ask, “What did Jesus do to you? How did he open your eyes?” And 
the man told them that Jesus first made clay, then rubbed it on his eyes, 
and afterward sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam. “And I went 
and washed, and I received my sight,” he said, joyfully, for he was a 
very happy man. “Where is this Jesus now?” they asked; but the 
man did not know where Jesus and his disciples had gone. 

Then the neighbors brought the man who had been blind to the 
Pharisees, and they also questioned him. Because it was the Sabbath- 


470 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


day they thought Jesus had done wrong by anointing the man’s eyes 
and sending him to wash in the pool. They said, ‘ ‘ Give God the glory„ 



for we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” Others standing by said, 
“How can a man who is a sinner do such miracles'?” And the people 


THE VILLAGE OF SILOAM 


WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BLIND MAN 


471 


were divided, some thinking Jesus was a great man and others think- 
ing he was only deceiving those who believed in him. 

The Pharisee then asked the man what he thought of Jesus, and 
the man replied, 4 1 1 believe he is a prophet. ’ ’ 

The enemies of Jesus were greatly stirred by this miracle. They 
thought perhaps the man was only pretending, after all, that he had 
been born blind. So they called his parents and questioned them con- 
cerning their son. 

But the parents were afraid of these Jews. They knew of the 
hatred these men felt toward Jesus, and they knew the chief priests 
had threatened to cast them out of the synagog if they believed in him. 
So they said, “This man is our son, and we know he was born blind. 
But we do not know how his eyes received sight; he is a grown man 
and he can tell you for himself. ’ ’ 

Again the excited enemies of Jesus called the man who had been 
blind, and asked, “Wdiat did Jesus do to you? How did he open your 
eyes?” The man answered, “I have told you once and you would not 
fisten; if I tell you again will you also be his disciples?” At this they 
scorned him, and said, “We are Moses’ disciples, for we know that 
God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow we do not know! where he 
came from.” 

Now the man whom Jesus had healed grew very bold, and he said, 
“It is strange that you do not know where Jesus came from since he 
opened my eyes, which were always blind! We all know* that God does 
not hear sinners, but if any man worships him and does his will, God 
hears that man. Since the world began it was never heard that any 
man opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If Jesus was not of 
God he could do nothing.” 

These words stirred up more anger in the hearts of Jesus’ enemies, 
and they said to the man who had been blind, “You were born a sin- 
ner, and do you try to teach us?” Then they cast him out of the syna- 
gog, and he could no longer worship there with his people. 

Jesus soon heard what the angry priests had done, and he looked 
about to find the man whom they had cast out of the synagog. When 
he found him he asked, “Do you believe on the Son of God?” The 
man answered, “Who isi he, Lord, that I may believe?” And Jesus 
said, “You have seen him with your eyes, and even now he is speaking 
to you.” Then the man rejoiced and said, “Lord, I believe!” And 
he worshiped Jesus there. 


472 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 41 

LITTLE CHILDREN ARE BROUGHT TO JESUS; 

A YOUNG MAN GOES AWAY SAD 

Matt. 19 : 13-30; Mark 10: 13-31 

While Jesus was teaching the people in a country place not far 
from the Jordan River, some mothers brought their little children to 
him and asked him to bless them. Jesus loves little children, so he 
took them in his arms and put his hands upon their heads and prayed. 

But the disciples stood by looking much displeased. They called 
the mothers aside and said, “You should not trouble our master in this 
way, for he has more important work to do than to| caress your chil- 
dren !” And no doubt the mothers were grieved to hear them speak 
these words. 

Jesus, too, was grieved with the disciples. He said, “Do not for- 
bid the little children to come to me, for of such is the kingdom of God. 
Whoever of you will not receive the kingdom of God just as a little 
child, can never enter intoi it.” And again he took the little ones in 
Bis loving arms to caress and to bless them. 

Jesus knew that little children would gladly believe him and that 
many times they could lead older people to believe in him, too. He 
knew their little hearts were tender and quick to respond to his love, 
while older people were more ready to doubt and to question whether 
or not he was the very Christ. 

Then Jesus rose up and went with his disciples to another place. 
And as he went a young man came running to meet him. This young 
man was very rich, and he wore beautiful clothing. But he knelt down 
in the dust before Jesus and said, “Good Master, what good thing 
shall I do that I may receive life in the other world?” 

“Why do you call me good?” asked Jesus, adding, “for there is 
none good but God. You know the commandments— ‘ Do not kill ’ ; 
‘Do not steal’; ‘Do not speak falsely’; ‘Honor your father and your 
mother.’ ” 

“Yes, I know the commandments of Moses,” answered the young 
man, “and I have kept them from my childhood. But I seem to lack 
something yet. 01 Master, tell me what it is!” 

Jesus looked tenderly into the anxious face of the young man be- 
fore him, and he loved this man. He longed to help him. But he knew 
the one thing that hindered this man from being contented and happy. 
He knew the one thing that stood between this man and the hope of 


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SEVENTY DISCIPLES SENT; THE GOOD SAMARITAN 473 

life in the other world. Just one thing; but unless that one thing 
should be taken away, the rich young man could never enter heaven. 
So he said, 4 ‘You lack one thing, just one. If you would he perfectly 
happy, go home and sell all that you have, and give your riches to the 
poor people. Then you will have riches in heaven. Afterwards you 
may come back and be my disciple.” 

What a change came over the young man’s face when he heard 
these words ! His head was bent forward, and he walked very slowly 
away, for he was sad and deeply troubled. Jesus watched him go 
away, and Jesus, too, was sad. Then he turned to the disciples and 
said, “How hard it is for rich men to enter into the kingdom of God!” 
Eh ^knew this young man loved his riches more than he loved God, and 
that he was unwilling to sell his possessions and give his money to the 
poor. Because he loved his riches he could not be contented and happy, 
for his heart was not right in God’s sight. Always he felt that some- 
thing was lacking, that something clouded his hope of life in heaven. 
But he turned away from Jesus, choosing rather to be rich in this 
world than to he a disciple of the Lord. Afterwards he found out that 
he had made an unwise choice, for 

Biches never satisfy 
Hearts that long for God and heaven; 

Jesus can their needs supply 
When their all to him is given; 

But if they will not obey 
His commands, whate’er they be, 

Sadly then they turn away, 

Beggars through eternity. 


STORY 42 

SEVENTY OTHER DISCIPLES SENT OUT; THE GOOD 
SAMARITAN 

Luke 10:1-37 

Jesus knew that he had not much longer to preach, for the time 
was near when he must lay down his life for the sins of the people. 
He therefore chose seventy other men who had followed him and re- 
ceived his teachings, and to them he gave power to heal the sick and 
to cast out evil spirits. Then he sent them out, two and two, into the 
country east of the Jordan River, to preach in the cities and villages 
where he would go later on. 


474 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


And just as tlie twelve disciples had gone, so these men went forth 
to heal the sick and to tell people that the kingdom of heaven was com- 
ing near to them. And when their errand was finished they hurried 
back to Jesus, telling him that even the evil spirits obeyed when they 
commanded them to depart. These seventy disciples rejoiced much 
because they had received power to command evil spirits to obey them ; 
but Jesus said, “Do not rejoice in this, but rather be glad because 
your names are written in heaven.’ ’ 

Then Jesus prayed to God, the Father, and afterwards he turned 
to his disciples and said, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things you 
see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the 
things which you see, but they did not see them, and to hear the th *vftgs 
which you hear, but they did not hear them . 9 9 

Then a wise Jew, called a lawyer, came to Jesus and asked a ques- 
tion, wishing to tempt him. He said,- “Master, what shall I do to 
inherit life in heaven?” 

Jesus knew this man had knowledge of the law of Moses, so in- 
stead of answering the question he asked the wise man another. He 
said, “What is written in the law of Moses? Do you not know its 
teachings?” The lawyer replied, “Moses wrote that we should love 
the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all 
our strength, and with all our mind ; and he wrote that we should love 
our neighbors as ourselves.” 

Jesus said, “You have answered right; do this and you shall have 
life in heaven.” 

But the man was not willing to turn away yet. So he asked Jesus, 
“Who is my neighbor?” And Jesus told him the story about the Good 
Samaritan. This is the story: 

“One day a man started to travel from Jerusalem to Jericho. As 
he went along the lonely road he met some robbers. These men 
stopped him, took away his money, tore off his clothing, and beat him 
until he was half dead. Then they ran off, leaving him to lie by the 
roadside. 

‘ ‘ Presently a priest came along the road, and he saw the poor man 
lying there. But he did not stop to help the stranger. He did not even 
speak to the poor man and ask if he might send some friends to aid 
him, but passed by on the other side of the road. 

“After the priest had gone past a Levite came by. When he saw 
the poor man he came up to look at him. But he did not offer to help 
him. He hurried on his way, leaving the poor man to die. 

“And no doubt the poor man would have died if a kind-hearted 


SEVENTY DISCIPLES SENT ; THE GOOD SAMARITAN 475 

Samaritan had not come along the road soon afterwards. When he 
saw the poor man he stopped his mule, climbed out of his saddle, and 



THE GOOD SAMARITAN AND THE WOUNDED MAN 


bent over the stranger to speak to him. He saw that the wounded, man 
was a Jew, and he knew the Jews were not friendly to the Samaritans, 
but he knew this Jew was in deep trouble. So he poured oil upon the 



476 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK] 


wounded places and bound them up. Then he gave the wounded man 
a drink to revive him, and helped him to climb into the saddle on his 
own mule’s back. He brought the wounded man to a sheltering-place 
called an inn, where travelers stopped overnight. Here he took care 
of him until the next day, and before he started on his journey again 
he gave money to the keeper of the inn, and said, ‘Take care of this 
stranger until he is well, and if more money is needed I will give it 
when I come again.’ 

“Now,” asked Jesus of the lawyer, “which of the three men was 
a neighbor to the one who was attacked by the robbers!” 

“The man who treated him kindly,” answered the lawyer; and 
Jesus said, “Go, and do as the Samaritan did.” 


STORY 43 

LAZARUS, THE DEAD MAN WHOM JESUS CALLED OUT 
OF THE GRAVE 

John 11:1-54 

Lazarus was a Jew who lived with his two sisters, Martha and 
Mary. Their home was in the little village of Bethany, near Jerusalem, 
and Jesus often visited them while attending the feasts of the Jews. 
Always they made him feel welcome, for they loved him dearly, and 
they believed that he was the Christ of whom the prophets had written 
long ago. 

One day while Jesus was in the country east of the Jordan teach- 
ing the people, a messenger came hurrying from Bethany to tell him 
that Lazarus was very sick. The anxious sisters had sent this mes- 
sage, and they believed that surely Jesus would come at once to help 
them. They knew of his great miracles of healing, and they longed 
to have him hear in this hour of need. But Jesus did not go at once, 
for he said to his disciples, “This sickness of our friend Lazarus is 
for the glory of God.” 

And so the messenger returned without Jesus. And the disap- 
pointed sisters lingered near the bedside of their dear brother and saw 
him grow weaker and weaker until finally his breath left his body and 
he died. How grief-stricken they felt! Why had Jesus not come to 
them! they wondered. 

Still they hoped that he might come, for he had even raised the 
dead to life ; but the day wore on and no signs of his coming appeared. 


THE MAN WHOM JESUS CALLED OUT OF THE GRAVE 477 


Then at last the neighbors and friends who gathered in to help them 
wrapped Lazarus’ body with linen cloths and carried it to the cave 
where he should be buried. Martha and Mary followed, weeping bit- 
terly, and they saw Lazarus laid in the dark cave and they saw the great 
stone rolled over the cave’s opening. Still their friend Jesus had not 
come. 

Four days passed by, and the sorrow of the sisters grew deeper ; 
for now they believed that even if Jesus should come he would be too 
late to help them. Many friends from Jerusalem were staying in their 
home trying to comfort them, hut only one friend could comfort and 
that friend was not there. 

At last, after four days had passed, news came that Jesus and his 
disciples were nearing the village. Martha rose quickly and ran to 
meet him. Falling at his feet, she cried, “If only you had been here 
my brother had not died ! ’ ’ 

Jesus knew how deep was the grief in Martha’s heart, and he said, 
“Your brother shall rise again.” 

“I know he shall rise in the last day, when the dead shall come 
forth in the great resurrection,” answered Martha. “I am the resur- 
rection, and the life,” said Jesus, “he that believes in me, though 
he were dead yet he shall live. And those who live and believe in me 
shall never die. Do you believe this?” he asked. 

Martha answered, “Yes, Lord, I believe you are the Christ, the 
Son of God, who should come into the world.” 

Still Martha did not understand what Jesus meant when he said 
he was the resurrection and the life. But she left him and hurried 
to call her sister, Mary; for Jesus had asked why Mary had not come, 
too. 

When Mary heard that Jesus had called for her she left the house 
and hurried out to meet him, for he had not yet come into the village. 
She found him resting by the roadside where Martha had met him, 
and she, too, fell at his feet and cried, “Lord, if you had been here my 
brother had not died!” The Jews who had come from Jerusalem to 
comfort the sisters saw Mary rise up hastily and leave the house, and 
they supposed she was going to weep at Lazarus’ grave. So they fol- 
lowed. And they saw her when she met Jesus, and they heard her 
weep when she fell at his feet. Tears flowed down their cheeks, too, 
and they cried aloud. 

Jesus wasi touched with the sorrow of these sisters and their 
friends. He groaned when he heard them weeping, and he asked, 
“Where have you laid the body of Lazarus?” So they brought him to 


478 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


the grave. And as Jesus stood near the cave with the sisters and their 
sorrowing friends, he wept in sympathy with them. 

The Jews who had crowded near to watch, whispered among them- 
selves, 4 ‘ See how he loved Lazarus ! Conld not this man, who opened 
the eyes of one who had been born blind, have caused that Lazarus 
should not have died?” 

While they were talking together, Jesus commanded that some one 
should roll away the stone from the opening of the cave. Martha ex- 
claimed, 4 ‘Lord, he has been dead four days, and by this time his body 
is decaying!” But Jesus answered, “Did I not tell you that if you 
would believe you should see the glory of God?” 

So they took away the stone, and while the people stood by Jesus 
lifted his eyes to heaven and said, ‘ ‘ Father, I thank thee that thou hast 
heard me. And I know that thou hearest me always; but because of 
the people who stand by I said it, that they may believe thou hast 
sent me.” Then he looked into the door of the dark cave and cried 
with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 

The astonished people saw the still, white form within the cave 
rise up and walk out to speak with them. And Jesus told the friends 
to untie the linen cloths and remove the napkin, which covered his face. 
And Lazarus was alive once more. 

After this miracle many of the Jews who had come from Jerusalem 
to comfort Martha and Mary believed that Jesus was the Christ. And 
soon the scribes and Pharisees and chief priests, at Jerusalem heard 
what had happened at Bethany, and they were greatly excited. “What 
shall we do?” they asked, “for if we let him go soon all men will be- 
lieve in him, and the Romans will come and take away our nation.” 
And from that time the enemies of Jesus began to plan how they might 
capture him and kill him. 


STORY 44 

JESUS HEALS THE SICK, AND TEACHES IN A 
PHARISEE’S HOUSE 

Luke 14 : 1-24 

Jesus knew the plans of his enemies in Jerusalem and he did not 
remain long in Bethany, but took his disciples and returned again to 
the country near the Jordan River. While there he continued to teach, 
and to heal the sick who were brought to him. 

One Sabbath-day a Pharisee who lived in that part of the country 


JESUS TEACHES IN A PHARISEE'S HOUSE 


479 


asked Jesus to eat dinner at his house. And Jesus went with him. 
Other Pharisees and lawyers were present at the dinner, and, as usual, 
some people were there who had not been invited. These stood about 
in the dining-hall, looking on while the guests were eating the food set 
before them. 

Among the onlookers was one poor man who had a disease called 
dropsy. No doubt he had come because he heard that Jesus would be 
there, and he hoped Jesus would have mercy upon him and heal him. 
When J esus saw the poor man standing near by, he pitied him. Turn- 
ing to the Pharisees and lawyers, he asked, “Is it permitted in the law 
to heal on the Sabbath-day!” But the men would not answer. Then 
Jesus healed the poor man and sent him away; for he said, “No one 
of you, if your ox or ass fell into a pit, would allow it to remain there 
until after the Sabbath had passed, but you would pull the unfortunate 
beast out at once.” And they understood that he meant to teach them 
to be just as merciful toward the poor man whom he had healed of 
the dropsy. 

Those present at the dinner expected to hear Jesus teach, and they 
were not disappointed. He had noticed how the guests chose the best 
places for themselves when they arrived, and he taught them a lesson 
on humility. He said, “When you are invited to a wedding, do not 
choose for yourself the places of most honor lest a man come who is 
more honorable than you. Then you will be asked to give your place 
to him, and you will feel ashamed before all the guests. But if you 
choose rather to take the lowest place, then you will be called up high- 
er, and you will receive honor from your friends.” 

Then Jesus turned to the Pharisee who had invited him to the 
house, and said, ‘ 4 When you prepare a feast, do not invite your friends 
and relatives and rich neighbors ; for they will reward you in the same 
manner. But if you wish to receive a reward at the time when the 
righteous people are resurrected, then invite the poor and the crippled 
and the blind to your feasts; for such people can not repay you, and 
God will bless you for such service.” 

One of the guests heard the words Jesus spoke to the host, and he 
said, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.” Then 
Jesus spoke a parable to them all about the kingdom of God. He said: 

“A certain man prepared a great supper and invited many guests. 
When all was ready, he sent his servant to call the invited persons to 
come and eat. But every one began to make an excuse to stay away. 
The first man said he had bought a piece of ground and would have to 
go at once to see it, and he asked to be excused from the supper. An- 


480 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


other man said he had bought two oxen and he was going to try them 
out for driving, so he could not come; and another said he had gotten 
married, and he could not come. Everywhere the servant went the 
invited guests begged to be excused, and the servant returned to tell 
his master. 

4 4 The feast was ready and waiting, and the master was greatly dis- 
appointed to hear howl his invited guests had refused to come. He 
became angry with them, and said they should not be allowed even to 
taste the supper he had prepared. Then he sent the servant out quickly 
to gather in the poor people from the streets, and the servant brought 
in the blind and the lame, and still there was room. Then the master 
sent the servant to the country places near by to bring in the poor peo- 
ple who had not been invited. And his house was filled with hungry 
people who enjoyed the good things he had prepared for his unfaith- 
ful friends.” 


STORY 45 

A CROOKED WOMAN HEALED; THE PHARISEES TRY TO 
FRIGHTEN JESUS; PARABLES BY THE WAY 

Luke 13:11-15:32 

Jesus now taught in the cities and villages where the seventy had 
gone to preach and to heal the sick. In one city he found a crooked 
woman in the synagog on the Sabbath-day. This poor woman had not 
been able to straighten herself for eighteen years, but was stooped over 
in a pitiful manner. When Jesus saw her he pitied her. Calling her 
to him, he said, 4 4 Woman, you are set free from this infirmity, which 
has bound you so many years.” Then he laid his hands upon her bent 
back and immediately she was able to stand straight again. 

The Woman was very happy, and she praised God because she had 
been made well. But the ruler of the synagog was displeased with 
Jesus for healing her on the Sabbath. He said, 4 4 There are six days 
when men ought to work; therefore let the sick conne to be healed on 
those days, and not on the Sabbath.” 

But Jesus replied, 4 4 You are only pretending to be careful to 
please God. Do you not loose your ox and your ass and lead them to 
water on the Sabbath-day ? And should not this poor woman, who is 
a daughter of Abraham, be loosed on the Sabbath-day from this in- 
firmity with which she has been bound by Satan for eighteen years?” 

The enemies of Jesus were ashamed when they heard his wise 


A CROOKED WOMAN 1 HEALED 


481 


reply, and the other people praised God with loud voices because they 
had seen his wonderful works. 

One day some of the Pharisees came to Jesus and pretended to be 
friendly. They told him that Herod, the King, was seeking to take 
his life just as he had caused John the Baptist to be put to death. They 
urged Jesus to leave the country at once, and go far away, lest Herod 
find him and kill him. They hoped in this manner to 
be lid of Jesus. 

But Jesus did not feel afraid of Herod, 
that his greatest enemies were among 
the Jews, and among the religious 
rulers of the Jews. They hated him 
because he taught the poor people and 
because he told them about their sins. 

Now he said to these Pharisees : 1 ‘ Go 
to Herod and tell him that I cast out 
evil spirits and heal the sick today 
and tomorrow, and on the third day I 
shall be made perfect. For I must 
walk today and tomorrow and even 
the day following, for it can not he 
that a prophet shall perish outside of 
Jerusalem.” Jesus meant that just 
as the Jews had killed God’s prophets 
in other days, so they and not Herod 
would cause him to be put to death. 

Many publicans and sinners fol- 
lowed Jesus, to hear his words. And the Pharisees and scribes found 
fault, saying, 4 4 This man receives sinners and even eats with them.” 
Jesus knew how they were complaining about him, and he spoke to 
the people by parables. First he told them the parable about the Lost 
Sheep. Because the Jews kept many sheep he knew they would un- 
derstand the story. “What man of you,” he asked, “having a hun- 
dred sheep would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and seek 
for the one that was lost? And when he finds it he will bring it back 
and rejoice more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine which did 
not wander away. So it is in heaven when a sinner repents and for- 
sakes his sins; there is more rejoicing over him than over ninety-nine 
just persons who have no sin.” 

There were Wiomen in the crowd listening to Jesus’ words. And 
Jesus saw them there, so he told a story which they might understand. 



JESUS HEALING THE WOMAN 


482 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


“What woman/’ he asked, “having ten pieces of silver and losing 
one of them will not forget about the nine and search carefully through 
the house until she find the missing piece? And when she finds it she 
tells her neighbors and friends, and asks them to rejoice with her 
because she has found the piece that w|as lost. So also,” said Jesus, 
“there is rejoicing in heaven when one lost sinner comes to God.” 

Both the men and the women were listening very carefully now, 
and Jesus told the parable about the unthankful son who left his 
father’s house and went to live among strangers. This is the story: 

“A certain man had two sons, and the younger son was not con- 
tented to remain at home with his father and his brother. He asked 
that his father divide the money which would some day be given to 
him and to his brother and give to him at once the part that would be 
his. So the father divided the money, and the younger son took his 
part and went away. He thought he was very rich, and he spent his 
money freely. He enjoyed every pleasure that he knew, and he seemed 
to have many friends. But after a while he spent all his money and 
he had nothing left. Then he grew hungry; but his friends left him 
and refused to help. 

“In his trouble the young man offered to care for a farmer’s hogs, 
but he could scarcely keep from starving. And no man pitied him, or 
gave him any decent food to eat. 

4 6 Then the young man remembered his father, and the hired serv- 
ants who worked in his father’s house. He knew those servants were 
well cared for. He decided to return to his father’s house and ask 
to be made a servant there. So he returned to his home country to 
beg his father’s forgiveness and to ask permission to be only a serv- 
ant in the old home. 

“That father loved his wandering boy, and his heart was sad 
when the boy left him to live among strangers. Every day he longed 
for the boy to come back. And when at last he saw his son coming, 
clothed in rags, he ran out to meet him and wept for joy. The boy 
began to speak; he said, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and 
against you— ’ ; but he had no opportunity to tell the father how he 
wished to become a servant in the old home, for the father commanded 
a servant to go quickly and bring the best clothes and dress the young 
man in them, and to prepare a feast of gladness, for the lost had been 
found. 

“The elder son was in the field at work. When he returned to 
the house and saw the excitement he asked the servants what had hap- 
pened. They told himi that his brother had come back again. And 


FOUR STORY-SERMONS WHICH JESUS PREACHED 483 


the elder son was displeased and would not go in to see his brother. 
Then his father came out and told him the glad news, but still he was 
displeased. 4 1 have served you faithfully all these years and you do 
not rejoice over me/ said the unhappy man, ‘and now when my broth- 
er comes back from his riotous living you rejoice greatly over 
him. , 

“Now the father understood that his elder son was jealous of his 
brother. He said, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that 
I have is yours. Whenever you wished you could prepare a feast; 
but your brother has been to me like one dead, and now he is alive 
again. And it is right that we should be merry because he has re- 
turned to be with us again; for he was lost, but is found. ’ ” 


STORY 46 

FOUR SHORT STORY-SERMONS WHICH JESUS PREACHED 

Luke 16; 18:1-15 

In the multitude which followed Jesus were people of many dif- 
ferent villages. Some of his listeners were poor people, some were 
rich; some were educated and some were not, Jesus knew about their 
differences, and he wished to teach them all. He knew how well every 
one likes to listen to a good story, so he preached some story-sermons 
to the multitude. One of the story-sermons was about 

An Unfaithful Man Who Was a Steward 

“A certain rich man,” said Jesus, “hired a servant to take care 
of his goods. This servant came to live in the rich man’s beautiful 
house and was called his steward. He was supposed to handle his mas- 
ter’s business wisely, but he did not. And after a while the master 
heard that the steward was wasting his goods. 

“Calling the unfaithful steward, the master told him what he had 
heard. And the steward hung his head in shame because he could not 
deny his guilt. Then the master grew angry and said, ‘No longer shall 
you be my steward !’ And he was about to dismiss the unfaithful servant. 

“Now, the steward had no other home in which to live, and he 
wondered what he should do. He thought he could not work in the 
fields like a poor man, and he was too proud to beg for food from door 
to door. So he decided to make friends with the other servants of the 
rich man that they might receive him into their homes to live, And he 
hurried to do this very thing. 


484 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


“By and by the master heard -what the unfaithful steward was 
doing, and he said, ‘After all, that man is careful to look out for him- 
self. He shows much wisdom in this one thing. ’ ” 

By this story Jesus wished to teach the people that they would not 
always have homes in this world, for some day they would have to 
leave their homes and go to live in another world. And just as the 
unfaithful steward had shown wisdom in preparing a home for him- 
self for the time When he should no longer have a home in the rich 
man’s house, so the people should begin to prepare for themselves a 
home in heaven by trying to please God. 

Another story which Jesus told was about 

A Poor Rich Man and a Rich Beggar 

‘ ‘ There was a certain rich mjan who thought only of his own com- 
fort and happiness. He wore expensive clothes, like a king’s, and ate 

the best kind of food every 
day. His many servants 
were quick to do his bid- 
ding, and he did nothing 
except to live and enjoy 
himself. 

‘ ‘ And there was a cer- 
tain beggar man named 
Lazarus, who had no home 
or friends. He Was a good 
man although he was a 
beggar, and he came to sit 
at the gate of the rich man 
to ask for the crumbs 
which might fall from the 
rich man’s table. Finally 
the poor beggar became 
sick and sores broke out 
all over his body. He could 
not drag himself away 
from the rich man’s gate. 
As he lay there suffering, 
stray dogs from the street 

LAZARUS AT, THE RICH MAN’S GATE Came to lick his SOTeS. But 

the rich man did not try 
to help him at all; he let him lie there day after day in his misery. 



FOUR STORY- SERMONS WHICH JESUS PREACHED 485 


“By and by the poor beggar died, and when he died the angels 
came and carried him to heaven. No longer was he a poor beggar, for 
now he could rest in peace and happiness with faithful Abraham and 
with other good people who had left this world. And the rich man 
died, too, and his friends buried him in a nice, new grave, and per- 
haps they mourned greatly because he had been taken away from 
them. But that was not the end of the rich man, for after death he 
found himself in a place of torment. Now he was poor, so poor that 
he could not even get a drink of water to cool his burning tongue. 

‘ ‘ In this place of torment the poor rich man lifted up his eyes and 
saw, far, far away, the same Lazarus wjho used to sit at his gate and 
beg. He remembered Lazarus, and now he saw him resting happily 
with Abraham in a beautiful place. The poor rich man called loudly 
to Abraham and cried for mercy. He knew he could not hope to rest 
with Abraham in that beautiful place, but he wanted Abraham to send 
Lazarus with just a drop of water to cool his burning tongue. 

‘ ‘ But Abraham called back that he could send no water. He said, 
‘ Remember that you enjoyed good things in your lifetime, while Laz- 
arus had only poverty and suffering when he lived in the world. Now 
he is comforted, and you are being tormented. And I can send noth- 
ing to you because no one can pass from this place to your place of 
torment, neither can any one from your place come to us.’ 

‘ 4 Now the poor rich man remembered his brothers wlho were yet liv- 
ing in the world. He did not wlant them to come to the place of tor- 
ment, and he asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to the world to 
warn his brothers about that dreadful place. But Abraham said those 
brothers had God’s law to warn them, and Lazarus need not go. Then 
the poor rich man pleaded that his brothers might listen if some one 
rose from the dead to tell them about the place of torment. But Abra- 
ham answered, ‘If they will not hear the words in God’s Book, neither 
will they listen if one should rise from the dead and speak to them. ’ ’ ’ 

Jesus knew that sometimes God, does not answer prayer at once 
because he wishes to have people call earnestly upon him ; he lets them 
come again and again before he gives them the things for which they 
ask. And Jesus wished to teach men to keep on praying when at first 
their prayers are not answered, so he told them this story about 

A Poor Widow and \n Unjust Judge 

“One time there was a poor widow w!ho had been wronged by a 
wicked enemy. She could not punish the enemy nor get back what he 
had taken from her, so she came to a judge who lived in her home city 


486 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


and told this judge about her troubles. The judge, too, was a wicked 
man, and he did not care to help the poor widow. For a while he paid 
no attention to her; but she kept coming and crying for him to help 
her. Finally he grew tired of her coming, so he said to himself, 
4 Though T am not a good man, yet I will punish this wicked enemy as 
the poor widow has asked me to do, lest she keep coming to me and 
troubling me from day to day/ So he punished the enemy.’ ’ 

Then Jesus said, 4 4 Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. He 
granted the wish of the woman because she came often to him, and 
shall not God grant the wishes of those wiho call upon him day and 
night? For God is righteous, and he delights to do good to his people.” 

In the multitude were some people who thought they were right- 
eous, and they despised those whom they thought were not. Jesus 
taught them a lesson in the story-sermon about 

The Pharisee and the Publican in the Temple 

4 4 Two men went up to the temple to pray. One of them was a 
Pharisee, and the other was a publican. 

4 4 The Pharisee stood and prayed aloud, saying, 4 God, I thank thee 
that I am not as 'Other men, unrighteous, unjust, unfair in business 
dealings, nor even as that publican standing over yonder. I fast twice 
each week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 

4 4 But the publican stood in a corner by himself and would not 
even lift his eyes toward heaven when he prayed. He bowed his head 
and smote his breast, saying, 4 God be merciful to me a sinner!’ ” 

And Jesus said, 44 I tell you, this publican, and not the proud 
Pharisee, went home to his house with God’s blessing; for whoever 
lifts himself up in his own sight is not pleasing to God, but whoever 
humbles himself shall be lifted up.” 


STORY 47 

HAPPENINGS ON THE WAY TO JERUSALEM 

Matt. 20:17-34; Mark 10:32-52; Luke 18:31-43 

The time had come again for the Passover Feast at Jerusalem, 
and Jesus knew that his life on earth wlould soon be ended. He took 
his twelve disciples aside from the crowd which followed and told them 
again that soon he should be given into the hands of the chief priests 
and the scribes, his enemies, and be condemned to die. But the dis- 


HAPPENINGS ON THE WAY TO JERUSALEM 


487 


ciples could not understand; for they believed surely he was the Son 
of God and that he would become the king of the Jews. 

Two of his disciples, James and John, came to him soon after- 
wards, bringing their mother. She knelt before Jesus and asked him 
to grant places of honor to her sons when he should receive his king- 
dom. But Jesus knew these disciples and their mother did not under- 
stand that the kingdom of heaven would not be like an earthly king- 
dom, and he 1 said that places of honor would be given only by God 
the Father. 

The other disciples felt jealous of these two, and Jesus knew 
about their feelings. So he called them aside again and told them that 
in his kingdom those who would be great must be the servants of all 
the others. He reminded them of howl he had labored hard and long 
for others, and he told them that they should be willing to serve others, 
too. 

Many other people were going to attend the feast at Jerusalem, and 
they walked along the roadway with Jesus and his disciples. These 
people had heard Jesus teach and they had seen him heal the sick. 
They, too, hoped that he would set up his kingdom in Jerusalem at the 
time of this feast. 

By and by the multitude came to a city called Jericho. The road 
to Jerusalem led through the streets of this city, and soon the people 
of Jericho were much excited because Jesus was with them. News of 
his coming spread rapidly from one part of town to another, and many 
who had heard of this wonderful man camie rushing to see him. 

As the- crowd passed along the street, a blind man named Bar- 
timaBus, sat by the roadside begging. He heard the sound of many 
footsteps and he wondered why such a crowd was passing, so he asked 
the reason. And some one answered, ‘ 4 Jesus of Nazareth is going by.” 

Bartimaeus had heard about Jesus of Nazareth. He had probably 
heard about the man who had been born blind and who had been healed 
by this wonderful man from Nazareth, in Galilee. Now he wished that 
Jesus would have mercy on him, too, so he rose from his seat by the 
roadside and began to cry loudly, ‘ 4 Jesus, son of David, have mercy 
on me!” 

Those who stood by were displeased to hear the blind beggar cry- 
ing after Jesus in this manner. They told him to keep quiet. Per- 
haps they said that Jesus could not hear him; for the noise of the crowd 
was great. But Bartimseus would not be quieted. He only cried louder 
than ever* for he wished to have Jesus heal his blinded eyes. 

Jesus knew about the poor beggar, and he knew how the men near 


488 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK! 


by had urged him to- keep still. Now he stopped and commanded some 
one to tell the blind man to come to him. So a messenger hurried 
to Bartimaeus, saying, “Be of good comfort, for Jesus has heard you 
and now he is calling for you.” 

Bartimaeus threw aside his garment and ran eagerly to the place 
where Jesus stood. And Jesus asked, “What do' you wish me to do 
for you?” “Lord, give me my sight,” he asked; and Jesus answered, 
“Go your way; your faith in me has made you! well.” At once the 
blind eyes opened, and Bartimaeus could see as well as those who had 
never been blind. And he joined the crowd to follow Jesus. 


STORY 48 

THE LITTLE MAN WHO CLIMBED INTO A TREE TO SEE JESUS 

Luke 19:1-29 

There was living in Jericho at this time a rich man named 
Zacchaeus, and he was chief among the publicans. He had never seen 
Jesus, and when the news came that Jesus was passing through Jericho 
on his way to attend the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, Zacchaeus de- 
termined that he would try to see this wonderful man. So down to the 
highway Zacchaeus went, hurrying along with the gathering crowd ; for 
Jesus was to pass that way. 

But Zacchaeus did not stop when the crowd stood still. He hur- 
ried a little farther on, and there he climbed into a sycamore-tree, 
which grew by the roadside. From this place he knew he could surely 
see Jesus when he passed by. If he had remained in the crowd he 
could not have seen the wonderful man from Galilee, for Zacchaeus was 
not so tall as the other people about him. 

Soon the travelers bound for Jerusalem came down the road, and 
the people of Jericho who had gathered to watch them pass looked 
eagerly to catch a glimpse of Jesus. On the travelers went till they 
came to the sycamore-tree, and here Jesus and his disciples stood still. 
Then Jesus looked up into the tree and saw Zacchaeus clinging to its 
branches and gazing down upon him. 

“Zacchaeus,” said Jesus, “come down at once, for today I must 
stop at your house.” 

How surprized Zacchaeus was to hear these words ! He had hoped 
to catch at. least a glimpse of Jesus; now he could take this wonderful 
man into his home and talk face to face with him. 


THE MAN WHO CLIMBED INTO A TREE TO SEE JESUS 489 

With w joyful heart Zacchaeus led the way to his home, to enter- 
tain Jesus and his disciples there. And as they went, others followed, 
some finding fault because Jesus was going to stop in the home! of a 
publican, whom they called a sinful man. The Pharisees would not 
enter such a house, for they despised peo- 
ple they called sinners and would not be 
friendly with them. 

Although Zacchaeus was a publican 
his heart had been changed by the kind 
words of Jesus. So he stood up before 
Jesus and said, ‘ 4 Behold, Lord, I give 
half of my goods to the poor, and if 
I have in my business dealings taken more 
from any man than I should have taken, I 
give him back four times as much as I 
took from him. ’ ’ 

J esus was pleased with Zacchaeus ; for 
he knew this publican really had been 
changed in his heart. And he said, 4 ‘ To- 
day salvation is come to your house, for 
the Son of man is come to seek and to save 
those who are lost. ’ ’ He had known about 
this publican who longed to see him, and 
he had sought for Zacchaeus. Now he would grant him forgiveness be- 
cause Zacchaeus had received him gladly, and had confessed his will- 
ingness to make his wrongs right. 

Others stood by listening, and Jesus took this time to teach them 
another parable, or story-sermon. He knew the people were expecting 
the kingdom of heaven to be set up soon like an earthly kingdom, so 
he told them a story to show them what the kingdom of heaven is like. 
He said : 

“A certain nobleman went away to a far country to receive for 
himself a kingdom and to be made the ruler of it. Before leaving home 
he gave a sum of money, called a pound, to each of his ten servants and 
commanded them to use the money till his return. 

“ After some time the nobleman came back again, having received 
the crown and the kingdom in that far-away country. Then he called 
his ten servants and asked them how they had used the money he had 
given to them before he went away. 

“The first servant came to him bringing ten pieces of money, and 
saying, ‘ I traded with the pound you gave me, and I have gained these 



JESUS CALLING TO 
ZACCHAEUS 


490 


BIBLE, 43TORIY BOOK 


ten pounds. ’ The nobleman was pleased with that servant and said 
to him, 4 Because you have done this, I will give you the rule of ten 
cities in my kingdom.’ 

“Next came a servant who had gained five pounds by using the 
money the nobleman had given him. And the nobleman was pleased 
with him also, and said, 4 To you I will give the rule of five cities in 
the kingdom which I have received.’ 

4 4 Then came the third servant, bringing only one pound, the same 
one that the nobleman had given him before he went away. 4 Here is 
your pound,’ the servant said, 4 1 have kept it wrapped in this napkin 
all the while you were away for fear I might lose it. I know you are 
a harsh master, taking up what you do not lay down and reaping what 
you do not sow. ’ With this servant the nobleman w*as much displeased. 
He answered, 4 If you know I am a harsh master, why did you not 
put my money into) a bank that I might have it and its gains at my 
return?’ Then he commanded those who stood by to take the one 
pound away from the unfaithful servant and give it to the one having 
ten pounds. 

4 4 The servants were surprized, and they said, 4 Lord, he has ten 
pounds, why give him more?’ But the nobleman answered, 4 To every 
one who uses what he has, more shall be given ; but those who refuse to 
use what is given to them shall have their own taken away. ’ ’ ’ 

After speaking this parable, Jesus, with his disciples, left Jericho 
and went on the way over the mountains toward Jerusalem. 


STORY 49 

HOW MARY SHOWED HER LOVE FOR JESUS 

Matt. 26:6-16; Mark 14:3-11; John 12:1-11 

4 4 Simon the leper” was a friend of Jesus. He lived in the vil- 
lage of Bethany, not far from the home of Martha, Mary, and their 
brother Lazarus. But 4 4 Simon the leper” was no longer a leper, for 
Jesus had made him well of that disease. And once more he could 
live in his own home with his family, in Bethany. No wonder Simon 
was a friend of Jesus! 

News reached the village folk of Bethany that Jesus and his dis- 
ciples were coming over the road from Jericho and would soon arrive. 
Glad news this was to the friends who loved him so dearly, and they 
began to plan at once how they might give him a welcome. 4 4 Simon the 



HOW MARY SHOWED HER LOYE FOR JESUS 

> 


BETHANY, WHERE MARY LIVED 


492 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


leper” arranged to make a supper at his home for the tired guests, and 
Martha, the sister of Lazarus, went to help prepare and serve the 
evening meal. Simon invited Lazarus to eat with the other guests at 
the table; for since he had risen from the grave, Lazarus was looked 
upon with much wonder by the people. 

Mary also knew about the supper, but she did not go to help pre- 
pare the food and to serve the guests at the table. Instead, she quietly 
left her home and hurried on a secret errand to* Jerusalem. The dis- 
tance was not very far, and by making haste she could go and return 
before the evening meal would be finished. 

At last the guests arrived, and they were welcomed at the home of 
Simon. Then the food was placed on the table and the guests were 
brought into the dining-hall to eat. Curious onlookers crowded in, for 
news of this supper had quickly spread through the village, and even 
as far as Jerusalem. And uninvited folk had come, not only to see Je- 
sus, but to see Lazarus also, whom Jesus had called out of the grave 
after he had been dead four days. 

While the guests were eating, presently Mary arrived with a box 
in her hand. Going directly to the couch where Jesus was reclining, 
she broke the box and poured its contents upon Jesus’ head and feet. 
Now this box had contained some very rare perfume, which had cost 
much money, and Mary had poured it all upon the body of Jesus to 
show her love for him. Then she bent low and wiped the feet of Jesus 
with her long hair. 

Just as soon as the box was broken the odor of the sweet perfume 
filled the room. And every one present knew this perfume had cost 
much money, for it was of the very best kind. At once the! disciples 
began to whisper among themselves about what Mary had done. One 
of them, Judas Iscariot, who carried the money-bag for Jesus and the 
other disciples, became angry and said, “What a waste of money this 
foolish woman has made! Instead of pouring it all upon Jesus she 
might have given that money to buy food for the poor.” 

Jesus knew the thoughts and whisperings of his disciples. He 
saw them question Mary about her deed, and speak unkindly to her. 
So he spoke to them; all and said, “Let this woman alone. Why do you 
trouble her? She has done a good work, for she has come before my 
death to anoint my body with sweet perfume. The poor you have 
With you always, but I shall not be with you much longer. And by this 
deed Mary has shown her love for me.” And Jesus said also that 
wherever the gospel should be preached in the whole world this deed 
which Mary had done to show her love should be told in memory of her. 


HOW JESUS RODE INTO JERUSALEM AS A KING 493 


Perhaps Mary understood what the disciples were unable to be- 
lieve— that Jesus soon must die— for she had sat at his feet and lis- 
tened to his words while he visited in her home. She had heard him tell 
about many things, and she had believed them. And now she had 
poured out the costliest gift her money could buy, to anoint Jesus be- 
fore he should have to lie cold in death. She had done all she could 
to show him how great was her love. 

Judas Iscariot was even more displeased when he heard Jesus ’ 
words. He was no longer a true disciple, for he had allowed Satan to 
plant wrong desires in his heart. And sometimes he took money from 
the bag to keep for himself, for he loved riches and he had hoped some 
day to be a rich ruler in the kingdom he expected Jesus to set up. 

Now a wicked thought crept into his heart, and he planned to go 
as soon as possible to the enemies of Jesus in Jerusalem and promise 
them to give Jesus into their power if they would give him money for 
his work. So after the supper was ended he left Bethany and went to 
see the chief priests and scribes who lived in Jerusalem. 

For many days the enemies of Jesus had been talking together 
about how they might capture Jesus. After Lazarus had been raised 
from the dead they were stirred more than ever, because many other 
people had begun to believe in Jesus, too. When Judas' Iscariot came 
to them they! were glad, and they promised to give him thirty pieces 
of silver money if he would bring them to Jesus when the multitude 
of believing friends were not near. 


STORY 50 

HOW JESUS RODE INTO JERUSALEM AS A KING 

Matt. 21: 1-17; Mark 11: 1-12; Luke 19: 29-47; John 12: 12-19 

A time of great excitement was on. People were flocking out of 
the city gate and hurrying along the road that led down the valley and 
up the slope of Mount Olivet, just outside of Jerusalem. They were 
rushing out to meet Jesus, of whom they had heard such great things. 

Many of these people were strangers in Jerusalem. They had 
just come to attend the Feast of the Passover, and they had heard about 
the wonderful miracles Jesus performed. Others lived in Jerusalem 
and they had heard how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, so they, 
too, were eager to see him again. As they went they took branches of 


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palm-trees with which to wave him a welcome when they should meet 
him. 

On the morning of that same day Jesus had sent two of his dis- 
ciples to a village near Bethany to loose a colt which they should find 
tied. He had told them to bring this colt to him, and if the owners 
should question why they untied the colt they should answer, “The 
Lord has need of this colt today.’ ’ And the disciples had gone and 
found the colt tied by the roadside, and they had told the owners the 
message which Jesus sent. And the owners had let them take the colt 
and bring it to Jesus. 

Then the disciples had spread their garments on the colt’s back 
and had set Jesus on it, while others threw their clothes along the road 
for Jesus to ride over. And as the crowd from Jerusalem came near 
to the Mount of Olives, the company which followed from Bethany be- 
gan to shout, “Blessed is the King who is coming in the name of the 

Lord! Peace in 
heaven, and glory in 
the highest!” 

The people who 
came out of Jerusa- 
lem met Jesus and 
his disciples on the 
slope of the Mount 
of Olives. They 
heard those who fol- 
lowed J esus shout 
praises to him, and 
they too waved their 
palms and rejoiced, 
saying, 4 4 Hosanna ! 
Blessed is the King 
of Israel who comes 
in the name of the 
Lord ! ” Some threw 
their palms in the 
road for him to ride 
over, and all along 
the highway they stood, rejoicing greatly and praising God. 

In the crowd were some Pharisees who had not come to rejoice 
but to find fault. When they heard the people shouting they came to 
Jesus and said, “Master, cause these men to cease shouting.” But 



HOW JESUS RODE INTO JERUSALEM AS A KINO 495 


Jesus answered, “If these should he still the stones by the roadside 
would immediately cry out.” Jesus knew the time had come when the 



THE “GOLDEN GATE,” THROUGH WHICH JESUS RODE. 

prophecy of Zechariah should be fulfilled, for Zechariah had said con- 
cerning this very time: 

“Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion; 

Shout, 0 daughter of Jerusalem: 

Behold, your King comes unto you ; 


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He is just, and having salvation ; 

Lowly, and riding upon a colt. ’ 7 

So the crowd passed on through the gate into the city, and Jesus, 
rode up Mount Moriah, where the temple stood. And as he went, the 
people before and behind cried out loud, “Hosanna to the Son of 
David.” And the people in the city were stirred with the excitement. 
They came hurrying into the streets to ask, “What is the meaning of 
all this? Who is this king you 5-re bringing?” And the multitude 
answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, of Galilee.” 

When Jesus came to the temple he saw men in there who were buy- 
ing and selling animals for sacrifice-offerings, and others who were 
called money-changers. Once before he had driven such men out of 
the temple, and now he drove them out the second time, saying, “In 
the Scriptures it is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of 
prayer’; but you have made it a den of thieves.” For these men de- 
manded more money for their sacrifice-offerings than they should have 
asked. 

The wave of excitement was still running high in the city, and 
every one was eager to see Jesus. The blind and the lame came to him 
in the temple, and he healed them there. And little children came 
singing, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” No doubt they had heard 
the glad songs of the grown people who had come with Jesus from the 
Mount of Olives, and they, too, wished to praise this great man, who 
took little ones in his arms and blessed them. 

The chief priests and scribes in the temple saw Jesus heal the 
blind and the lame, and they heard the children sing his praises. They 
were angered by these things, for they saw that every day the multi- 
tudes were becoming more excited about this Jesus. They came to 
him and asked, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” And 
Jesus replied, “Yes, I hear them. Have you never read these words 
in the Scriptures, ‘Out of the mouths of little children thou hast per- 
fected praise ’?” And he left them there, and went out of the temple, 
for evening had come. Taking his disciples, he returned to Bethany to 
spend the night in the home of his friends. 


THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE 497 


STORY 51 

THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE 

Matt. 21:18-46; Mark 11:12-12:12; Luke 19:47-20:19 

Early in the morning Jesus and his disciples started away from 
Bethany to go again to the temple in Jerusalem. As they went, Jesus 
became hungry, and seeing a fig-tree by the roadside he stopped to 
eat of its fruit. But there Were no figs on the tree, only leaves, and 
Jesus turned away disappointed. As he walked away he said, “Never 
again shall man eat fruit from this tree. ’ ’ 

On they went, and when they came to the temple miany people had 
already gathered to hear Jesus teach. The chief priests and the 
scribes were there also, ready to ask him a question; for they w|ere 
not willing that he should teach] the people. They demanded of him, 
“By what authority do you teach and work miracles? Who gave you 
this authority ? ’ ’ 

Jesus knew how to answer them by asking a question of them. 
He said, “Was the baptism of John from heaven or of men? Tell me 
this and I will answer your question.’ ’ Now the enemies of Jesus did 
not know how to answer. They had not received John’s baptism as of 
God, and they feared to tell Jesus because many people were listening, 
and the people all claimed that surely John was a prophet of God. If 
they should not own John as a prophet they feared that the people 
would turn bitterly against them. Yet if they should say that John’s 
baptism was of God they knew Jesus Would ask why they had not be- 
lieved him. So they said, “We can not tell whether John’s baptism 
was from heaven or of men.” Then Jesus answered, “Neither will 
I tell you by what authority I do these things, or who gave this author- 
ity to me.” 

Again Jesus began to teach by story-sermons, called parables. He 
told them about a man who had two sons. This man called his elder 
son to him and said, “Son, go and work today in my vineyard.” The 
boy answered his father roughly, saying, “I will not go!” But after- 
wards he became sorry, and repented of his unwillingness to obey his 
father’s command. Then he went to the vineyard and worked. To the 
second son the father spoke the same words of command, and this boy 
replied politely, “I go, sir.” But he did not go. “Now,” asked Jesus, 
“which of the two boys obeyed his father?” and the people answered, 
“The first.” 

Jesus said the two boys were like the two classes— the people whom 


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the Pharisees and such called sinners, and the Pharisees and other 
leaders themselves. All these leaders claimied to be obedient, and yet 
they were not doing the| things God had commanded, while the other 
people whom they called sinners had listened gladly to John’s words 
and had been baptized by him. 

Another story which Jesus told was about a man who planted a 
vineyard, and built a hedge about it, digged a winepress in it, and 
built a watch-tower. Then he hired some men to care for it, and went 
away to another country. When the time came that the fruit of the 
vineyard should be ripened, he sent servants to get some of the fruit 
and bring it back to him. But the keepers of the vineyard treated the 
servants roughly. The first one who came they beat, and sent him 
away without any fruit. The second one they threw stones at and 
wounded him in the head. The third one they killed. Later other serv- 
ants were sent; but the wicked keepers of the vineyard treated them 
all shamefully. 

The owner of the vineyard was very sad, and he decided at last 
to send his own son. “They will know he is my son,” he reasoned, 
“and they will respect him.” But when the keepers looked out from 
the watch-tower and saw the son coming, they said to each other, ‘ ‘ The 
owner has sent his son. This vineyard will belong to him, because he 
is the heir, let us kill him and take the vineyard for our own posses- 
sion.” So they caught him, and killed him, and threw his body out- 
side the vineyard. ‘ 4 When the owner of that vineyard comes what will 
he do to those men?” asked Jesus. And the people answered, “He will 
cause them to be miserably destroyed, and he will give his vineyard 
into the care of better men who will give him some of its fruits. ’ ’ 

Then Jesus looked boldly upon his enemies standing near and said, 
i ‘ The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to 
another nation, which will bring forth fruit.” The chief priests and 
scribes knew he had spoken the parables against them, and they were 
angry. But they were afraid to seize him because they knew all the 
people standing round believed that Jesus was a great prophet. 

In the evening Jesus returned again With his disciples to Bethany, 
to be with his dear friends, and in the morning he went back to teach 
the eager people who gathered early to hear him. As they passed 
along the road by the fig-tree that he had found only leaves on, the 
disciples saw that the tree had withered and now stood dry and dead. 
They were surprized that it should have changed so soon, and they 
spoke about it. Then Jesus taught them a lesson from the fig-tree. 
He said, “Have faith in God. If you have faith to believe that God 


JESUS’ LAST DAYS IN THE TEMPLE 


499 


hears you when you pray you shall do greater things than I have done 
by my words to this fig-tree. For if you ask anything of God in prayer, 
and believe in your hearts that he hears you, the thing for which you 
ask shall be given. ’ ’ 


STOBY 52 

JESUS’ LAST DAYS IN THE TEMPLE 

Matt. 22 : 1-24 : 1 ; Mark 12 : 13-13 : 1 ; Luke 20 : 20-21 : 4 ; 

John 12:20-36 

One day while Jesus was teaching in the temple he told the people 
by a parable that the kingdom of heaven is like a king who made 
a feast at the marriage of his son. This king prepared a great feast 
and invited guests from a city near by. When everything was ready, 
the* guests failed to come. He sent servants to remind them of their 
invitation to the wedding-feast, still they would not come. They made 
fun of it, and went on about their own wlork. Some of them even treated 
the king’s messengers cruelly and killed them. 

The king heard about the conduct of those people, and he was 
much displeased. He called out his army and sent his soldiers to 
destroy them and to burn their city. Then he invited other guests to 
the marriage feast, and the place v^as filled; for every one came who 
was bidden this time. 

Among these guests were the poor and the rich, and the good and 
the bad, and the king furnished each one with a garment to wear. He 
wished to have them appear well in his presence. When all had ar- 
rived and put on their clean garments, he came in to see them and give 
them a welcome to the feast. 

One man was present who refused to put on the clean garment 
-that the king had provided for him. There he stood among all the 
others, clothed in his dirty rags. The king saw him and said, “ Friend, 
why did you come in here without putting on the clean garment that I 
had provided for you to wear?” And the man hung his head, for he 
had no excuse to offer. The king was displeased with him because he 
had disobeyed orders, so he commanded his servants to seize the man, 
bind him hand and foot, and take him away to a dark place where he 
should be punished. 

The Pharisees and other enemies of Jesus knew these parables 
were showing the people how they, the Pharisees and the other enemies, 
had refused to obey God, and they determined to put a stop to his teach- 


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BIBIJE-STORY BOOK 


ing. They decided to ask questions of him, and prevent him from 
teaching in this- way. So they sent some men who pretended to be 
good, and told these men to ask him whether it was wrong or right to 
pay the tribute money, or tax money, which Caesar, the Roman ruler, 
demanded of them. 

The Jews disliked to pay this money, and Jesus’ enemies knew 
that if he should say it was right for them to pay the tax then the peo- 
ple would no longer care to make him their king. They would no 
longer follow himj so eagerly and listen to his wprds, for they hated 
the Roman government. But if Jesus should say it was wrong to pay 
this tax money, then his enemies planned to tell the Roman officers 
that Jesus was unwilling to obey the Roman government, and they 
knew Jesus would be punished. 

So the men came to Jesus and said, “Mjaster, we know you are 
true, and that you teach the way of God in truth without caring whether 
men will be pleased with your teaching or not.” Thus they flattered 
him, thinking he would be delighted to hear such favorable things said 
of himself. Then they continued: ‘‘Tell us just what you think, Is it 
right or wrong to pay this tribute money which Caesar demands of us 
Jews?” They thought Jesus wlould answer either yes or no. But they 
were mistaken. 

Jesus could see the hearts of these evil men who were questioning 
him. He paid no attention to their flattering words, but said, “Why do 
you tempt me, you hypocrites? Show me the tribute money.” And 
they brought him a penny. Jesus looked at the coin on both sides, 
then asked of them, “Whose image is this on the one side? and whose 
name is written here?” On one side of the coin was a picture of 
Caesar ’s head, and his name was written above it. The men replied 
that the image and the name on the coin were both Caesar’s. “Then,” 
said Jesus, “give to Caesar the things that belong to him, and give to 
God the things that belong to God.” 

This answer greatly surprized the men, for they had thought they 
surely would catch Jesus in a trap where he would need to say yes or 
no. But he had replied so wisely they could not accuse him to any man. 

Others came to question Jesus, and among them was a lawyer who 
asked, “Which is the greatest commandment of the law?” Jesus re- 
plied that the greatest commandment of the law was, ‘ ‘ Thou shalt love 
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all 
thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 
And the second greatest is this : Thou shalt love thy neighbor as much 
as thyself. No other commandments are so important as these two.” 


JESUS’ EAST DAYS IN THE TEMPLE 


501 


Tlie lawyer answered, 1 ‘Yon have well spoken, for to love the Lord 
God in this way and to love one’s neighbor as much as one’s own self 
is surely more pleasing to God than burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 

Jesus was pleased with this reply of the lawyer. He saw that the 
lawyer understood the meaning of God’s Word better than did many 
who pretended to be teachers of it. And he told the lawyer that he was 
near to the kingdom of God. 

While Jesus was in the temple, some men came to Philip, one of 
the twelve disciples, and asked permission to see Jesus. These men 
were Gentiles, they were Greeks by birth, and they had comje to wor- 
ship the God of the Jews so they were called proselytes. Because they 
were Gentiles they could not enter the part of the temple where Jesus 
sat teaching the people who thronged him there. They could come no 
farther than the outside! court, called the court of the Gentiles. But 
they had heard much about this wonderful teacher from Galilee, and 
they wished to see him. Philip told Andrew, another disciple, and to- 
gether they hurried to tell Jesus that strangers from Greece, a country 
far away, were waiting in the court of the Gentiles to catch a glimpse 
of him. 

When Jesus heard about the inquirers from distant Greece he said 
to Philip and Andrew, “The hour is come that the Son of man should 
be glorified.” He spoke to them about his coming death for the sins 
of the people, but the disciples could not understand his words. And 
because Jesus could feel pain just as we do he shrank from the thought 
of dying on the cross. He felt troubled because the time was drawing 
so near when he should die. And he said, prayerfully, “Father, save 
me from this hour.” Then he remembered that his life-work would 
not be finished if he did not die for lost sinners, so he added, “Father, 
glorify thy name.” And a voice spoke from heaven, “I have glorified 
it, and will glorify it again. ’ ’ The people standing by heard the voice 
but could not understand the words that were spoken. Some thought 
the voice sounded like thunder ; others said, ‘ i An angel spoke to him. ’ ’ 
But Jesus said the voice had spoken to prove to them that God had 
heard him. 

After teaching, Jesus had sat down near a place in the temple 
called the treasury. Here were money-boxes in which the people’s 
offerings were received. And Jesus saw the rich pass by the boxes and 
throw in large offerings. Finally he saw a poor widow come into the 
treasury and stop beside a box to throw in her small offering of only 
two little coins. Together these coins were worth less than a penny. 
But Jesus told his disciples that the poor widow had given more than 


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the rich people, for they had given out of full purses whereas she had 
emptied the last of her money into the box. He wished to teach them 
that God looks at the heart of the giver, for God saw that the poor 
widow gave her all because she loved him whereas the rich people gave 
their offerings because it was their duty to give. 

Then Jesus and his disciples left the temple, and went out to the 
Mount of Olives. Never again did Jesus walk in the courts of the 
Lord’s house on Mount Moriah; for soon afterwards his enemies took 
him and did to him all they had wished to do. 


STORY 53 

JESUS’ TEACHING ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 

Matt. 23:37-25:46; Mark 13; Luke 21: 5-38 

As Jesus left the temple fon the last time, his disciples spoke to 
him about the beauty of the Lord’s house. Like all other Jews, 
they took much pride in the temple where God was worshiped. 
And they were surprized to hear Jesus say, “The time is coming when 
the stones of these buildings shall all be tom apart.” 

On the Mount of Olives, Jesus rested for a while before going on to 
Bethany. And his disciples gathered around him there to ask when 
the time should come that the beautiful temple would be destroyed. No 
one else was near to disturb them, and Jesus talked long and earnestly to 
his disciples about the things that Would happen to Jerusalem,, and later 
to the whole world. He told them that men would come who would 
claim to be the Christ of God, and that many would believe in them. 
He said that great wars would be fought among the nations of the earth, 
and that troubles of different kinds would come upon the people. 
Then he said that before the end of time the gospel of the kingdom 
would be preached, not only among the Jews, but to all people in every 
part of the world. How strange these things must have sounded to 
the disciples ! for they had always 1 believed that salvation belonged to 
the Jews only. 

Then J esus told the disciples the parable of the ten young women, 
called virgins. Five of these young women were wise and five were 
foolish. All had been invited to the marriage of a friend, and they 
started to meet the wedding-party. They took their lamps with them 
to give light, for the wedding would take place at night and only those 
carrying lights would be allowed to join the wedding-party. 


JESUS TEACHING ON THEi MOUNT 1 OIF OLIVES 


503 


But the wedding-party Was slow in coming, and the young women 
grew tired waiting. Soi they all fell asleep. At midnight a cry was 
made that the wedding-party was coming, and the young women aroused 
and began at once to trim their lamps to be ready to join the proces- 
sion when it came by. 

Now the five who were wise poured more oil into their lamps ; for 
they saw the light was growing dim, and they had brought an extra 
supply of oil with them. But the five who were foolish had brought 
no more oil, and they, too, saw that their lights Were growing dim. 

‘ ‘ What shall we do V ’ they asked each other. Then they spoke to their 
wise friends and said, 4 ‘Please give some of your oil to us, for our 
lights are going out l” 

The wise young women did not have enough to give to their friends 
in distress, so they answered, “You must go to them who sell and buy 
for yourselves. We do not have enough to share.’ ’ And while they 
hurried away to buy more oil, the wedding-party came, and the five 
wise young women joined the party and went to the home where the 
marriage festivities would take place. 

When all the guests had entered, the door was shut, and no other 
persons could enter. The foolish young women came after the door 
had been shut, and they knocked; but the bridegroom would not let 
them in. They had come too late. 

By this story Jesus wished to teach his disciples to watch and be 
ready, for they should not know the time when he would call for them 
to leave this world and go to be with him. If they should not be ready 
when he should call, they would have no timle left in which to make 
ready, but, like the foolish young women, they would be shut out of 
heaven. 

Jesus told the disciples what will happen at the end of the world. 
SHe said that then the Son of man will come in his glory, bringing all 
the angels with him. And he will sit upon the throne of his glory. And 
before him all nations of the earth shall be gathered, and he will divide 
the good from the evil. Those who have obeyed his words he will 
place on his right, and those who have disobeyed he will place on his 
left, just as a shepherd in that country divided his sheep from his goats. 
The disciples no doubt had watched the shepherds come in from the 
fields and separate the sheep from the goats in their great flocks, and 
they understood how this separation will be. 

" ‘ 4 Then shall the Son of man be King,” said Jesus; “and he will 
say to them on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of my Father, 
and dwell in the kingdom which has been prepared for you. For I was 


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hungry, and you fed me ; I was thirsty and you gave me a drink ; I was 
a stranger, and you gave me shelter; I was shivering with cold, and 
you gave me clothes to keep me warm ; I was sick, and you visited me ; 
I was in prison, and you came to see me even there. ’ And the ones 
on his right will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you in need and help 
you thus?’ And the King will answer, ‘Whenever you helped one of 
my needy brothers, even the least of them, you helped me.’ 

“Then the King will turn to those on his left, and will say to 
them, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, and go away into ever- 
lasting fire, which has been made ready for the devil and his evil spir- 
its. For I was hungry, and you did not feed me; I was thirsty, and 
you gave me no water; I was a stranger, and you gave me no shelter; 
without clothes, and you did not give clothes to me ; sick, and you did 
not visit me; in prison, and you did not come to me there.’ And the 
ones on his left will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or 
thirsty, or without clothes, or a stranger, or sick, or in prison, and not 
help you?’ And he will say to them, ‘Whenever you refused to help 
one of my brothers, even the poorest of them, you refused to help me. ’ 

“And those on the right,” said Jesus, “wlill go into life eternal in 
heaven, while those on the left shall be turned away into everlasting 
torment. ’ ’ 


STORY 54 

THE LAST SUPPER JESUS ATE WITH THE TWELVE 

Matt. 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:3-39; John 13 

Two disciples, Peter and John, were hurrying along the road 
from Bethany to Jerusalem. They were going on an errand for their 
master. The day had come when the lamb for the Passover Feast 
should be killed, and Jesus had chosen these two disciples to go to 
Jerusalem and prepare the feast that the Twelve should eat with him 
that evening. 

After they had passed through the city gate, they looked about 
to find a man carrying a pitcher of water. Men seldom carried water- 
pitchers in the streets, for such work was usually left for women to 
do. But J esus had told them they would see a man carrying a water- 
pitcher, and they did. Jesus also told them to follow the man to the 
house where he should go with his pitcher, so they followed. 

At the house they niet the owner, and to him they gave the mes- 
sage that Jesus had sent. This was the message: “Our master sent 


THE LAST SUPPEiE JESUS ATE WITH THE TWELVE 505 

us to ask your permission^ for him to use your guest-room in which 
to eat the Passover supper with his disciples/ ’ And the owner of the 
house led them to a nice room up-stairs which Was furnished with a 
table and couches on which the guests; might recline while they ate. 
No doubt this owner knew Jesus, and was glad to give him the use of 
the guest-room in his home. 

When evening came, Jesus and the other ten joined Peter and John 
and together they sat around the table in that quiet room upstairs. 
A feeling of sadness crept into the hearts of the disciples, for their Mas- 
ter spoke to them so earnestly about going away soon. 

It was so hard for these men to believe that Jesus would really 
be taken away from them. They had seen him do such wonderful 
things that it seemed impossible to think men could ever kill him. 
And soon they were talking about other matters at the supper-table. 
Some were wondering who would be the greatest in the kingdom that 
they expected Jesus to set up soon. 

Jesus knew their thoughts, and he wished to teach them more 
about the kind of kingdom he was bringing to mankind. He rose up 
suddenly from the table, laid aside his outer garment, and tied a towel 
about his waist. Then he took a basin of water and began to wash 
the disciples’ feet. 

The disciples looked at each other in silent astonishment. They 
could not understand why he should be doing this humble act of ser- 
vice, for they had washed the dust from their feet before coming into 
that upper room. Finally Jesus came to Peter with his basin. But 
that disciple pulled his feet away, and exclaimed, “Lord, you shall 
never wash my feet!” 4 ‘Then,” answered Jesus calmly, “you shall 
never have a part in my kingdom.” At this Peter changed his mind 
suddenly, and, he said, “Lord, you may Wash my feet, and even my 
hands and my head.” Very desirous was this disciple of having a 
part in Jesus’ kingdom. But by washing their feet, Jesus did not 
mean in this way to prepare the hearts of his disciples for his work. 
He said to them, “You are clean already, but not all.” For he knew 
which one was not a true disciple. 

When the strange washing was over, Jesus laid aside the towel 
and took up his garment again. Then he returned to his place at the 
table, beside John, and began to explain to his disciples what he had 
just done to them. “You call me Lord, and Master,” said he, “and 
so I am. If I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you ought 
to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example that 
you should do to each other as I have done to you. The servant is not 


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greater than his master, and if you would be good servants you will 
obey my words. If you know my commands, you will be happy when 
you obey them.” 

Jesus also said that one of them should give him into the hands 
of his enemies, who would take his life. This seemed hard to believe, 
but the disciples knew Jesus * words of prophecy always came true, so 
they were amazed. Instead of looking at each other accusingly, each 
man thought of himself. And each one said, “Lord, is it I?” 

John, the disciple who liked to be! near Jesus, was reclining next 
to his master at the supper. Peter motioned to John and whispered, 
“Ask which one will do this dreadful deed.” So John asked Jesus, 
and Jesus replied in low tones, “The one to whom I shall give a piece 
of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” John Watched carefully, 
and soon he saw Jesus give a piece of bread to Judas Iscariot. 

After Judas had taken the bread that Jesus gave to him, Jesus 
said, “Go quickly and do your work.” Then the evil desire in his 
heart to get rid of this master became stronger, and Judas hurried out 
of the room into the gloom of night. None of the disciples understood 
what Jesus meant, hut they supposed because Judas carried the money- 
bag that he was going to do something for their master. 

Jesus then, after supper, took bread and blessed it and broke it 
in pieces, giving parts to each of the disciples, and saying, 4 4 Take this 
bread and eat it, for 1 it is my body, which is broken for you. ’ ’ Then 
he took the cup, and when he had given thanks he passed it to them, 
saying, “Drink this, for it is my blood, which is shed for you, for 
I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine with you until that 
day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God . 9 ’ 

They lingered a while longer in the upper room, and Jesus talked 
earnestly to them about the time when he should go away and leave 
them alone. He urged them to remember his commandment to love 
each other as he had loved them], and he told them that he would pre- 
pare a place for them in his Father’s house. 

Peter insisted that he would not leave Jesus, but would go with 
him wherever he went. Jesus told him that he could not go now, hut 
that he might come later on. He also told Peter that, bold as he be- 
lieved himself to be, he would prove himself a coward before day- 
light should return, for he would forsake Jesus and even deny that he 
had ever known him. (These words sounded strange to Peter, hut we 
shall see in the next story how they came true.) Then Jesus and his 
disciples sang a hymn together, and quietly left the upper room, going 
out of Jerusalem into a garden near by. 


HOW AN UNTRUE DISCIPLE SOLD HIS LORD 


507 


STORY 55 

HOW AN UNTRUE DISCIPLE SOLD HIS LORD 

Matt. 26:36-75; Mark 14:32-72; Luke 22:39-71; John 18:1-27 

Through the deep shadows which fell from the buildings along 
the streets a silent figure glided along, hurrying toward the assembly- 
room where the enemies of Jesus were sitting together waiting. That 
silent figure was the evil-minded disciple, Judas Iscariot, who was hur- 
rying on his way to sell his Lord. 

Soon the footsteps of Judas fell on the floor of the hall, and his 
knock sounded on the door of the assembly-room. In reply to the call, 
“Who is there ?■” came the answer, “He for whom you wait,” and 
quickly the door was thrown open and Judas entered. Now there fol- 
lowed a hasty conversation, some argument, and finally thirty pieces of 
silver were counted out and handed to Judas. Then the assembly broke 
up, each man hurrying to get a torch or to summon the soldiers who 
should go on their midnight errand. 

While this was taking place, Jesus and the eleven disciples had 
left the room up-stairs where they had eaten the last Passover supper 
together, and had gone outside the city to a garden across the brook 
Kidron. Here at the entrance of the garden Jesus had told eight of 
the disciples to wait, and, taking with him Peter, James, and John, he 
had gone into the deeper shadows of the trees to pray. 

But while Jesus prayed the disciples fell asleep. They could not 
understand why he ^should seem so troubled, and they did not know 
how to comfort him. They allowed their own sleepy feelings to over- 
come their love for him, and just wthen he longed to have them near 
to pray with him they slept. Three times Jesus went to waken Peter, 
James, and John, but not once did they offer him the comfort he sought. 
Then while he prayed in agony alone God sent an angel from heaven 
to strengthen and comfort him. For Jesus knew the sorrow that was 
soon to come; he knew what Judas was. even then doing; and he knew 
his enemies would not cease to torture him till he should be hanging 
dead upon the cross. Not only that, for Jesus knew also that he must 
bear the sins of the whole world in order to become the Savior of men. 
And because he had a body such as we have, he dreaded to suffer the 
pain of such a death, and he dreaded to be left alone by those whom 
he loved. So he asked God to take away the suffering from him if such 
a thing should be possible. Biut he added, “Let thy will, not mine, 
Be done.” 


508 


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THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE AS SEEN FROM JERUSALEM 







HOW AN UNTRUE DISCIPLE! SOLD HIS LORD 


509 


When Jesus had roused the sleepy disciples the third time, he told 
them to arise; for it wlas time for them to be going on their way. And 
they rose up to follow him out of the garden. But as they went toward 
the entrance they saw a band of men coming 1 to them carrying torches, 
as if they were searching for some one. Jesus walked up to the men 
and asked, “'For whom are you seeking f” and they replied, 4 4 For 
Jesus of Nazareth.” 

“ I am he,” answered Jesus. And the men fell backward. When 
they rose, Jesus asked them the second time whom they were seeking, 
and again they said, “For Jesus of Nazareth.” Judas, the unfaithful 



JUDAS KISSING JESUS 


disciple, was with the band of men, and he stepped forward and cried, 
“Hail, Master!” and kissed Jesus on the cheek. But Jesus knew the 
evil thought that was in Judas’ mind, and he looked sadly into the 
guilty face of his unfaithful disciple and asked, “Judas, do you betray 
the Son of man with a kiss ? ’ 9 

Judas had told the band of men the sign by which they might know 
whom to take for their prisoner, and that sign was the kiss he had given 
to Jesus. Now the soldiers took hold of Jesus roughly and prepared 
to lead him away. 

At this Peter was thoroughly aroused from his sleep. Drawing 
£ short sword, which he carried in his belt, he struck at one of the 
soldiers and cut off his ear. But Jesus seemed displeased, and told 



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Peter to put away his sword. Then he healed the soldier’s ear; and 
Peter, unable to understand liow he might now defend his master, sank 
back into the shadows with the other frightened disciples. 

The soldiers then bound their prisoner, and the procession started 
toward the assembly-room where the enemies of Jesus were waiting 
impatiently. And far behind Peter followed, wondering what he should 
do, and yet fearing that the soldiers might take him, also. 

First the soldiers brought Jesus to the house .of a man named 
Annas, who was father-in-law of the high priest, Caiaphas, and here 
his trial began. John, one of the disciples, gained admittance at the 
door, for he was acquainted with the household of the high priest. And 
he went in where Jesus was. But Peter stood outside, for he was a 
stranger, and the doorkeeper, a young girl, would not let him in. 

Presently John spoke to the doorkeeper, and she allowed him to 
take Peter into the court-room,, for the night was cold. When Peter 
was inside the young girl said, “ Are you not also one of his disciples?” 
But Peter was afraid, and he said, 4 ‘ No, I did not know the man. ’ 9 

In the open court a fire was burning, and Peter went near to warm 
himself. Around the fire stood other men, some who were servants in 
the high priest’s house and others who were officers. 

One of the men by the fire then turned to Peter and asked, 4 ‘Are 
you not one of this man’s disciples?” Again fear crept into Peter’s 
heart, and he replied stoutly, “No, I am not!” But a soldier standing 
by who had been in the garden when Jesus was taken had seen Peter 
use his sword, and he spoke, saying, “I saw you in the garden with 
him!” Peter denied fiercely, and pretended that he had never known 
Jesus at all. 

While this had been happening to Peter, out in the high priest’s 
courtyard, the high priest and others had been asking Jesus 
questions about his teachings and had been treating him shame- 
fully. Then the enemies of Jesus led their prisoner out of the high 
priest’s house, and as he passed by he looked sadly upon Peter. And 
Peter remembered how Jesus had told him that before the return of 
another day he would deny three times that he had ever known the 
Lord. Now tears filled Peter’s eyes, and he turned blindly away from 
the fire and rushed out of the door, to weep bitterly. He saw himself 
no longer a true man, brave, and ready to help in the work of his mas- 
ter, but a coward, ashamed to own that he had once proudly followed 
the innocent man who now stood hound in chains and condemned to die. 


THE DARKEST DAY IN ALL THE WORLD 


511 


STORY 56 

THE DARKEST DAY IN ALL THE WORLD 

Matt. 27:1-54; Mark 15:1-39; Luke 23:1-47; John 18:28-19:31 

After the sad, long night when Jesus was captured in the garden, 
morning came at last, and the news began to spread through the city 
streets that J esus, the prophet from Galilee, was now a prisoner. His 
friends were terrified, while his enemies laughed in wicked glee. And 
the soldiers led him before the Roman governor, Pilate, for this gov- 
ernor now took the place of the King Herod who had tried to kill 
Jesus when he was born, in Bethlehem. 

Pilate knew nothing about Jesus. He took him into his judgment- 
hall and talked a while with him. And he was surprized to hear the 
wisdom of this one whom the Jew's were condemning to die. He went 
out to them and said, “I find noi fault in this man.” But the Jews 
cried the more loudly that Jesus should be put to death, saying that he 
had stirred up the people throughout the country, even from Galilee. 

When Pilate heard that Jesus was from Galilee, he said, “This 
man belongs to the country that Herod rules.’ ’ This Herod was a son 
of the wicked king who had tried to take Jesus’ life when he was a 
baby. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod at once, for Herod was in Jerusalem 
at that time. 

Now this was the Herod who had caused John the Baptist to be 
put to death. He had heard much about Jesus, but he had never seen 
this prophet from Galilee. When the soldiers came, bringing Jesus 
bound with chains, Herod was glad, for he hoped that Jesus might do 
some miracle before him. At once he began to ask questions of Jesus, 
but not one question would Jesus answer. The chief priests and the 
scribes stood round about and said all kinds of evil things about Jesus, 
still he would not speak one word to defend himself. 

Finally Herod grew impatient with this silent prisoner. A wicked 
thought came into his heart, so he began to make fun of Jesus. With 
his soldiers he miocked Jesus, dressing him in rich garments and pre- 
tending to honor him as a king. Then he sent him back to Pilate. 

Now Pilate’s wife had heard about the trial of Jesus and she was 
greatly troubled, for that night she had dreamed about him. She sent 
a message to her husband, urging him to set Jesus free, saying, “He 
is a just man, not worthy of death.” Pilate, too, wished to free Jesus; 
for he could find no guilt in him. He told the accusers that neither he 
nor Herod had been able to find him guilty of death. But the mob 


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now cried, “If yon set this man free yon are not a friend of Caesar, 
and Caesar will dismiss you from being our governor.” Pilate knew 
the Jews could accuse him to Caesar if they were displeased with him, 



PILATE WITH JESUS BEFORE THE ANGRY JEWS 

and being a coward he chose rather to let an innocent man suffer than 
to be in danger of losing his position as governor. 

As the trial went on, Judas Iscariot saw that Jesus wlas condemned 
to die. Now his guilty conscience troubled him greatly. He had hoped 


THE DARKEST DAY IN ALL THE WORLD 


513 


that Jesus would free himself in some miraculous way from the power 
of his enemies ; but now he saw that J esus was allowing himself to be 
helpless in their hands. The money that he had taken from the enemies 
of Jesus seemed to burn his flesh, so he hurried hack to the chief priests 
and scribes, saying, “I have sold an innocent man! I have sinned !” 

The chief priests and scribes looked scornfully upon Judas and re- 
plied, “What is that to us? You yourself must answer for your sin.” 
And they turned away from him, refusing to take back the money they 
had given him for doing the dreadful act. 

Neither would Judas keep the money, so 
he threw it upon the floor of the temple 
and ran down the long flight of steps, 
away to a lonely place, where he hung 
himself and died. 

Before giving Jesus up to die Pilate 
talked to the restless mob about another 
prisoner whom he held— a wicked man 
named Barabbas, who as a robber had 
caused much trouble to the Jews. At the 
time of the Feast it was customary to re- 
lease a prisoner, and Pilate asked whether 
he should release Barabbas, the wicked 
robber whom the people feared, or Jesus, 
the innocent man whom they hated. And 
with loud cries the people answered, “ Set 
Barabbas free!” Then Pilate asked, 

“What shall I do with Jesus?” and they 
answered, 1 1 Crucify him ! crucify him ! ’ ’ 

So the trial came to an end, and Pilate, wishing to please the peo- 
ple, called some Roman soldiers and told them to lead Jesus away to 
be crucified. First he took water in a basin and washed his hands be- 
fore the Jews, saying, “I am not guilty of the death of this innocent 
man.” The Jews cried out, “We ourselves will bear the blame; let 
his blood be on our heads!” 

The Roman soldiers took Jesus and put a crown of thorns upon 
his head. Then they put a reed in his hand, and, bowing before him, 
mockingly called him the king of the Jews. They also blindfolded his 
eves, and spat upon him, and struck him with their hands, saying, 
“Tell us, prophet, who is it who struck you?” All these shameful 
things Jesus bore in silence, for he was suffering in the place of those 
who deserved to suffer for their own sins. Finally the soldiers took 



JUDAS THROWING DOWN 
THE MONEY 



514 


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off tlie purple robe and dressed him once more in his own clothes. 
Then they led him away outside the city to nail him on a cross. They 
took two other prisoners, men who had been thieves, and laid heavy 
crosses on the bared backs of these men, then led them away with J esus 
to die. 

A crowd of curious people followed the soldiers through the gate 
to the hillside where the crucifixion took place. Many in the crowd 
were enemies of Jesus, others were friends who longed to help but 
could not. As they went, Jesus sank down beneath the weight of the 
heavy cross he bore, and could not rise again. The cruel soldiers then 
called a stranger from the crowd and placed the cross upon his shoul- 
der, for Jesus was too weak to carry it any farther. 

On the hillside of Calvary the crowd stopped, and the soldiers be- 
gan to strip their prisoners of their clothing and to fasten their hands 
and their feet to the crosses. Then they raised the crosses high in the 
air and planted them securely ini the ground, leaving the prisoners to 
hang there till death should relieve them of their nfisery. Jesus prayed 
when they were crucifying him and said, “Father, forgive them, for 
they know not what they do. ’ ’ 

The cross on which Jesus was crucified stood between the two 
crosses on which the thieves were hung, and a writing was nailed above 
the head of Jesus, which said in three languages, “This is Jesus, the 
King of the Jews.” When the Jevte read the writing they were much 
displeased and hurried to ask Pilate to change it, that it might read 
thus: “He called himself the King of the Jews.” But Pilate would 
not change the writing, and all who passed by could read what he had 
written, though they were strangers in Judah. 

While Jesus hung on the cross, one of the thieves began to mock 
him, but the other begged to be forgiven and to be remembered when 
Jesus came into his kingdom. He believed that Jesus w*as really the 
King from heaven, which the Jews were unwilling to receive. And 
Jesus saw his faith, and said to him, “Today you shall be with me in 
paradise. ” Then the thief knew that his sins were forgiven, and though 
he was suffering much pain a glad joy came into his heart. 

While Jesus hung on the cross he saw a group of sorrowing friends 
standing at the edge of the crowd, and among them was his own mother. 
John, the disciple who loved him so much, was also there, and Jesus 
asked John to take care of his mother from that time. 

The enemies of Jesus stood around the cross, making fun of him 
and telling him to come down if he were the Son of Giod. Even the 
phief priests and the scribes were there, and they said, “He said he 































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































* 


































































































































































































































































































































. 


































































































































































































































































































THE WATCHERS AT THE TOMB OF JESUS 


515 


could save others, hut he can not save himself! If he is the king of 
Israel, let him now come down, and we will believe in him, too. ” 

About noonday the sky suddenly grew dark. For three hours the 
great darkness lasted, then Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “It 
is finished !” and soon he died. The Roman captain who stood near 
the cross, and the soldiers who were with him, saw the rocks tom apart 
by a terrible earthquake that came;, and they were frightened. And 
the captain said to his soldiers, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 


STORY 57 

THE WATCHERS AT THE TOMB OF JESUS 

Matt. 27:55-28:1; Mark 15:42-16:5; Luke 23:50-24; 

John 19:31-20:1 

The Jews who had been so gleeful when Jesus was taken prisoner 
and crucified still felt troubled about him. They could not put the 
thoughts of him out of their minds. The next day would be their Sab- 
bath, and they did not wish to have him hanging on the cross, with the 
words, “This is the King of the Jews,” written above his head. 

However, a rich man named Joseph, who was also a ruler among 
the Jews, now came boldly into Pilate’s judgment-hall and asked per- 
mission to' take the body of Jesus and bury it. This man, although a 
ruler, had loved Jesus, and he had taken no part in the wicked plots 
of his fellow rulers. He with Nicodemus, the Pharisee, had long be- 
lieved in Jesus, but for fear of the other Jews these two men had not 
made known their belief. Now with Pilate’s permission they went to 
Calvary. They took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in rich linen clothes 
with the sweet spices and perfumes that Nicodemus the Pharisee had 
brought. Then! they laid it in a new grave, or tomb, which had been 
cut out of a large rock. This grave opened into a garden, and Joseph 
had intended it for his own burial-place when he should die. Some of 
the women who had often been with Jesus when he taught the multi- 
tudes, stood by watching when Joseph and Nicodemus laid the body of 
their beloved friend in the dark tomb, and they saw the men roll a 
heavy stone before the door. 

Evening had now come and the Jews’ Sabbath had commenced; 
for their Sabbath began at sunset on Friday evening and ended at sun- 
set on Saturday evening. The sorrowing friends of Jesus therefore 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


516 



THE TOMB WHERE PERHAPS JESUS WAS BURIED 




THE WATCHERS AT THE TOMB OF JESUS 


517 


hastily returned to their homes to keep the Sabbath in the quiet man- 
ner that the Jews had been taught to keep it. 

But the enemies of Jesus began to fear that Jesus’ grave might 
be disturbed by his friends. They remembered that Jesus had said he 
would rise on the third day, and they said to each other, “His disciples 
may come to steal him away and then declare that he has risen. Then 
perhaps more people will believe in him and we shall be despised by 
them.” So they hurried to Pilate and told him about their fears, and 
asked permission to place his Romani seal upon the stone in front of 
Jesus’ grave. They also wanted Pilate to command soldiers to guard 
the tomb, so that no one should come by night and break the seal and 
take away the body. And Pilate allowed them to place his seal upon 
the great stone and to station soldiers to guard the grave by day and 
by night. 

The women who had watched Joseph and Nicodemus lay the body 
of Jesus away longed to show, their love for Jesus, and after sunset on 
the next day they hurriedly prepared some sweet perfumes. Then 
they planned to go early the next morning to anoint the body of their 
dear friend, even though he had been buried. 

But the eleven disciples, stricken with sorrow, hid themselves from 
the scornful glances of passers-by. They had forgotten the words of 
Jesus, that he would rise again on the third day. The cruel act of 
Judas, one of their own number, and the defenseless attitude of their 
master when in the hands of his enemies had so disappointed them 
that they bowed their heads in anguish and grief. Nothing seemed 
left for them now, when their glorious hopes of the kingdom of heaven 
had disappeared like a broken bubble. And they mourned and wept 
tears of disappointment, while a fear of the Jews’ further displeasure 
only added to their weight of grief. 

Early on the morning of the third day, before the sun had risen, 
a group of sorrowing women crept out of the city and sped along the 
highway toward the garden-tomb. As they went they wondered who 
would roll away the stone from the door of the grave, that they might 
go inside and pour their sweet perfumes upon the body of Jesus. But 
when they came near they saw the stone was rolled away and that the 
tomb was empty. Other visitors had come to the tomb even earlier 
than they. And the body of Jesus was not there. 


518 


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STORY 58 

WHEN JESUS, THE CRUCIFIED SAVIOR, AROSE FROM 
THE DEAD 

Matt. 28 : 2-16 ; Mark 16 : 5-14 ; Luke 24 : 4-12 ; John 20 : 2-18 

The hours of watching dragged slowly by to the Roman soldiers 
who guarded the tomlb where the body of Jesus lay. No one had come, 
even to visit the grave ; and perhaps the soldiers laughed at the fears 
of the Jews. 

The eastern sky was beginning to light up with the promise of a 
new day when suddenly the ground beneath the watcher ’s feet began to 
tremble. Another earthquake had come. Then the fearful watchers 
saw a mighty angel come down from the sky and roll the stone away 
from the door of the tomb and sit upon it. The face of this angel had 
the appearance of lightning, and the garments he wore were as white 
as snow. At sight of him the soldiers fell to the ground, trembling 
and helpless, and lay there as if they wlere dead. All this happened 
because Jesus had, in the grave, come back to life. He Was risen from 
the dead. 

When the women came to the garden they found the tomb empty, 
and the angel had not yet gone back to heaven. At first the women did 
not see the angel, and they wondered who had come and stolen the body 
of their Lord. Mary Magdalene left the others and ran quickly to tell 
Peter and John that the body of Jesus had been taken away from the 
tomb and hidden they knew not where. 

After Mary had gone from them, the other women saw in the 
empty tomb the beautiful angel, and they were afraid and bowed them- 
selves to the ground. But the angel said, ‘ 4 Do not be afraid. Why are 
you seeking the living among the dead! Jesus is not here; he is risen 
as he said. Go quickly and tell his disciples and Peter that he is alive 
and will meet them in Galilee.” 

The women ran from the place, filled with joy yet trembling with 
excitement and fear. The good news which the angel told seemed too 
Wonderful to be true, still they believed and hurried to tell the disciples 
and other friends who were sorrowing. 

But the disciples refused to believe the glad message. Peter and 
John ran to see the empty tomb for themselves, and when they came 
to the place they found no one, for the soldiers had risen and fled into 
the city to tell their strange experience to the enemies of Jesus who 


WHEN JESUS AROSE FROM THE DEAD 


519 


had stationed them to watch by the grave. John outran Peter, and 
coming first to the grave he looked in and saw it was empty. Then 
Peter came, and he went into the dark room where the body of Jesus 
had lain. He saw there the grave-clothes that Joseph had wrapped 
round the body of Jesus, and he believed that surely Jesus was alive 
once more. John, too, entered the grave and saw the clothes lying 
where Jesus had left them, and he also believed. 

Mary Magdalene had not stayed in the garden long enough to hear 
the message of the angel, and now she returned from the city, longing 
to find the place where her crucified Lord had been taken. She did not 
yet know of the new hopes that were gladdening the hearts of her 
friends. Entering the garden again, she stood by the empty grave and 
wept. Then she stooped down and looked into the grave and saw two 
angels sitting, one at the head and another at the feet of where the 



ANGELS ON THE WAY TO JESUS’ TOMB 


body of Jesus had lain. They said to her, “ Woman, why are you weep- 
ing?” and she replied, “Because they have taken away my Lord and 
II do not know where they have laid him.” Then turning about she 
saw Jesusi himself standing near. But tears blinded her eyes, and she 
did not know him. He, too, asked her why she wept, and supposing him 
to be the man who cared for the garden, she said, “Sir, if you have car- 
ried away my Lord, tell me where you have laid him that I may take 
him.” Then Jesus said, “Mary!” and she knew his voice. 


520 


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What glad joy filled Mary’s heart when she knew that Jesus was 
speaking to her again. She fell at his feet and cried, 6 i Master ! ’ ’ Then 
he told her to go at once and tell her sorrowing friends that she had 

seen him and that he had told her to 
tell them he was going to ascend to 
their heavenly Father’s home. 

While these things were happen- 
ing, the soldiers came into the city and 
told the chief priests what had taken 
place in the garden tomb. And the 
chief priests were alarmed. They 
quickly called the other enemies of Je- 
sus ; and they all wondered what to do. 
They had no thoughts of accepting Je- 
sus even though he had truly risen 
from the dead. They still hoped to 
persuade the people that Jesus had 
been a false prophet, so they decided 
on a plan, and they asked the soldiers 
to help them carry it out. They offered 
them much money if only they would 
promise to tell no one else that Jesus 
had risen and an angel had opened the, tomb to set him free. They 
urged the soldiers to tell the people that the disciples came and stole 
Jesus’ body away while they were lying asleep. 

The Romjan soldiers cared nothing about the Jews and their re- 
ligion, and they gladly took the money and went away. And when they 
were questioned about the disappearance of Jesus’ body from the grave 
they said the disciples had stolen it while they slept. 



STORY 59 

THE STRANGER ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS; 
DOUBTING THOMAS 

Luke 24: 13-48; John 20: 19-31 

The Passover Feast had ended, and somie of the visitors at Jeru- 
salem were returning to their homes. Along the roadway leading from 
the city of Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus, seven miles distant, 


THE STRANGER ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS 


521 



EMMAUS, WHERE JESUS ATE WITH THE TWO AFTER HIS RESURRECTION 



522 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK] 


two men were walking! slowly, with bowed heads. They were friends 
of Jesus, and they were troubled about the news that had come to the 
city just before they started on their journey. 

As these men talked together about the trial and crucifixion of 
Jesus, and about the women’s message that early morning, suddenly 
a stranger joined them and asked, “Why is it that you are so sad? 
What are you talking about soi earnestly?” The mien replied, “.Can 
it be possible that you have not heard about the sad things that have 
been happening during these few days past?” And the stranger asked, 
“What things?” 

The men began to tell this stranger about Jesus of Nazareth whom 
they had hoped would deliver their nation from the rule of the Romans 
and set up a kingdom. They told him how! the chief priests and rulers 
had become jealous of him because he was such a mighty prophet, and 
how they had captured him and caused him to be crucified. They told 
him that Jesus had died on the cross and that his body had been buried 
by loving friends in a nice, new tomb. “And this is the third day since 
these things happened,” they said, “and this morning some women of 
our company astonished us by saying they had gone early to the tomb 
and had seen that his body had been taken away. But they said angels 
were there, and the angels said he had risen from the dead. Then some 
of our own number hurried to the grave and found that it was indeed 
empty, but they did not see the angels nor did they see our risen Lord. ’ ’ 

The stranger listened patiently, and when they had finished he be- 
gan to talk to them about the teachings of Moses’ law and of the 
prophets concerning the promised Redeemer of Israel. He showed 
them by the word of God’s Book that Jesus, the prophet of Galilee, 
should suffer these very things and rise again the third day if he 
would really be the Redeemer for whom they were longing. And the 
men listened silently, wondering who this stranger could be. 

Presently they came near to the* village of Ernmaus, and the two 
men asked the stranger to stop with them until the next morning, as 
the day had nearly ended. So he stopped with them. And when they 
sat down to eat their evening meal he took bread, blessed it, and gave 
it to them, and they knew at once that he was Jesus, their risen Lord. 
But he disappeared from their sight. 

Now the two men understood why the women who had seen the 
angels seemed so full of joy. They, too, believed in the risen Lord, 
and their hearts were filled with gladness. They rose up from the 
table and hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples that they had 
seen the Lord. 


THE STRANGER ON THE ROAD TO EiMMAUS 


523 


The deep shades of night had fallen over Jerusalem when the men 
at last came to the house where the disciples and some of their friends 
were gathered together. When they entered the room they saw that 
a change had come over these people who had been so sad. Now every 
one seemed happy, and excited about something. “ Jesus is indeed 
risen,’ ’ they cried joyously, “for Peter has seen him!” Then the 
two men told how he had appeared to them on their way to Emmaus, 
and how they had not known him until he had blessed and broken 
bread at their evening meal. 

While they talked together suddenly Jesus himself appeared in 
their midst. And they were frightened, for the doors were closed when 
he entered and they supposed he was a spirit. But he spoke to them 
and said, “Why are you fearful? See my hands and my feet; touch 
me, and see that I am not a spirit, for a spirit does not have flesh and 
bones as I have.” The,n he asked for something to eat, and they gave 
him a piece of fish and some honey, which he ate before them. Great 
was their joy on beholding him once more in their midst, after they 
had seen him so cruelly tortured and killed. 

But Thomas, one of the disciples, was not present when Jesus ap- 
peared. And he would not believe when the others told him that they 
had seen the Lord. He said, “Except I see in his hands the print of 
the nails and put my fingers into the nail-prints, and except I thrust my 
hand into the place where the: spear cut his side, I will not believe.” 

A week passed by, and again the disciples were together in a room, 
the doors being closed, and this time Thomas was with them. Then 
Jesus appeared as suddenly as he had come before, and he said to 
them all, “Peace be to you!” While they were wondering at his 
strange coming he called Thomas and said, “Behold miy hands, and 
put your finger into the print of the nails ; and put your hand into the 
place where the spear cut my side. And do not doubt, but believe.” 

Nowf Thomas worshiped Jesus, saying, “My Lord, and my God!” 
To him Jesus said, “You believe because you have seen; but blessed 
are those who will believe though they do not see me.” 


524 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 60 

JESUS’ LAST MEETING WITH HIS DISCIPLES BY THE SEASHORE 
AND ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES 

Mark 16:15-19 ; Luke 24:50-53; John 21; Acts 1:1-14 

Far up in Galilee, away from the reach of their enemies, a group 
of men and women met together on a mountain-side and waited for the 
appearance of their Lord. And Jesus came to them there, and talked 
with them again as earnestly as he had talked in other days. And they 
rejoiced to see him once more and worshiped him; but some 'doubted 
that he was really the same Jesus who had been nailed to the cross. 

One day after this meeting some, of the disciples who had been 
fishermen returned to the Sea of Galilee. The familiar sight of the 
water and fishing-boats floating about on its surface stirred within 
Peter’s heart, a desire to again go fishing. So he told his companions, 
and they said, “We will go with you.” 

All that night the men stayed in their ship, toiling with their net; 
but not one fish did they catch. When morning came they drew near 
to the shore and saw a stranger standing there beside a fire of coals. 
He called to them and asked whether they had any fish. They replied 
that they had caught none, and he bade them cast their net into the 
water once more, this time on the right side of the ship. They obeyed, 
and now* the net was filled. 

John, the disciple who often went with Peter and James, now 
whispered to his companions, “It is the Lord.” And immediately 
Peter wrapped his fisher’s coat about his body and jumped overboard 
to swim to shore, so eager was he to come to Jesus. The others remained 
in the ship and brought it to the landing. Then Jesus commanded them 
to bring some of the fish they had caught, and Peter drew the net from 
out of the water. In it they had taken one hundred and fifty-three 
large fishes, yet the net was not broken. Then Jesus asked the men 
to come and eat, for he had already prepared fish and bread on the 
burning coals. 

After they had eaten, Jesus talked with Simon Peter, the disciple 
who had denied him at the time of his trial. He asked Simon three 
times if he loved him, and each time Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you 
know that I love you.” Simon believed that Jesus knew’ all things, 
and he felt sad because Jes'us asked him this same question the third 
time. Then he remembered how only a short while ago he had denied 


JESUS’ LAST MEETING WITH HIS DISCIPLES 525 


three times that he ever knew Jesus. Now he declared three times that 
he loved him, and Jesus told him to feed his lambs and sheep. 



Simon Peter had heard Jesus speak a parable one day about the 
Good Shepherd, wlho gave his life for his sheep. And he knew that 


JESUS APPEARING ON THE SHORES OF GALILEE 


526 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Jesus had called himself the Good Shepherd. Now he understood that 
Jesus had died for the sins of the people, and he believed that men and 
women were the sheep whom Jesus meant that he should feed. Not 
their bodies, hut their souls were hungry to be fed, and Jesus wanted 
Peter to leave his Work as a fishermlan and become a preacher of the 
gospel. In this way he could feed the people. 

Then Jesus told Peter words like these : “When you Were a young 
man you went wherever you wished, but when you shall become an 
old man you shall stretch out your hands and another shall carry you 
where you dol not wish to go.” By these words he meant that when 
Peter should grow old he wlould be put to death because he loved J esus. 
Then he said to Peter, ‘ ‘ Follow me. ’ ’ 

Simon Peter turned about and saw John standing by. At once he 
asked, “Lord, what shall this mian do?” But Jesus said, “Never 
mind about John’s work; see that you follow me.” 

Forty days passed by, and during these days Jesus often spoke 
with his disciples about the kingdom of God. Still they did not under- 
stand that it would not be an earthly' kingdom, like the kingdom of 
David had been. At last the time came for their farewell-meeting. 

Once more the eleven disciples Were in Judah, near Jerusalem, and 
Jesus was with them. Now he reminded them of the words he had said 
before his crucifixion, that he must go away from them. At that time 
he had promised to send them another Comforter, when he should be 
taken away. This Comforter would be the Holy Spirit, who would come 
to stay and be their guide and teacher, reminding them of the words 
Jesus had spoken. 

While they talked earnestly together, Jesus said, “John the Bap- 
tist baptized you with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy 
Spirit in a few days.” And some of the disciples asked, “Will you 
at that time restore the kingdom of Israel?” But Jesus said, “It is 
not for you to know the plans of the heavenly Father; but you shall 
receive power from heaven When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and 
this power will cause you to witness boldly to me in Jerusalem', in all 
the country of Judah, in Samaria, and in the farthest parts of the 
world. But do not go away from Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit is 
given to you. ” 

While Jesus talked to them they were standing together on the 
Mount of Olives, and suddenly the disciples saw him being caught up 
into heaven. They watched until he disappeared from sight in bright 
clouds, after which they saw him no more. But still they stood gazing 
upward, hoping to catch one more glimpse of their departing Lord. 


JESUS’ LAST MEETING WITH HIS DISCIPLES 


527 


Then two angels came and stood beside them, clothed in beautiful gar- 
ments of white. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gaz- 




m 

P 

m 


H 

•“3 



ing up into heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into 
heaven will come again in the same manner as he went away.” 

Then they left the place and went into Jerusalem, into a room 
up-stairs, where they met together with other friends of Jesus to wait 


528 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK, 


and pray until the promised Comforter should he given to them. No 
longer were they sorrowing; for now great joy filled their hearts be- 
cause they knew that Jesus was really the Christ. 


PART SECOND 


STORIES ABOUT THE APOSTLES 

The Book of Acts; The Epistles ; The Book of Revelation 


STORY 1 

THE SOUND AS OF A RUSHING WIND, AND WHAT IT BROUGHT 

Acts 1:15—2:47 

In a large upper room in Jerusalem one hundred and twenty men 
and women were meeting daily to pray. These were disciples and 
friends who had been with Jesus while he lived on earth. These were 
the ones he had commanded to wait id Jerusalem for the promise of 
the Holy Spirit from heaven. And they were obeying his command. 

Although Jesus had now gone up to heaven, where they could no 
longer see him or hear his voice, yet these people were happy. They 
remembered his words, that power from heaven would soon be given 
to them. And they were waiting to receive this wonderful power which 
would come with the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Ten days passed by after Jesus ascended to heaven, and another 
feast-day came for the Jews. This was called the Pentecost, and re- 
ligious Jews from other lands had come to worship at the temple. The 
city was once more crowded with strangers from! different parts of 
the world. 

In the large upper room the disciples and friends' of Jesus were 
together praying at an early hour. Suddenly there came aj sound as 
of a rushing mighty wind. They understood the meaning of the sound 
from heaven, for at that very time the Holy Spirit came upon them. 
And they saw resting upon each other’s heads what seemed to be 
tongue-shaped flames of fire. Now they knew the promise of the Holy 
Spirit had been fulfilled, and they began to praise God. No longer 
were they afraid lest the enemies who had caused Jesus to be put to 
death should hear them, for thei Holy Spirit gave them boldness and 
courage to tell others that Jesus was really the Christ. 

Soon the noise of their rejoicing was heard in the street below, and 
crowds gathered to learn what had happened in the upper room. In 
the crowds were the strangers who had come from different countries 
far awav, where people spoke in other languages. When they came 

529 


530 


BIBLE-STOBY BOOK 



to the place they were surprized to hear these happy men and women 
praising God in the languages of their own. countrymen. The strang- 
ers looked on each other with amazement, and asked, “What does this 
mean? For these who speak to us in our own language are people 
from Galilee. How have they learned the language of the far-away 
nations where we were born?” 

Others in the crowd were Jews who had lived in Jerusalem for a 
long time. They had been there when Jesus was crucified, and when 


THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 

he rose from the grave. They knew these Spirit-filled men and women 
Were friends of Jesus. And they refused to believe in him. So they 
said to the strangers, “These men who speak in your languages are 
drunk; pay no heed to them.” 

Then Peter stood up boldly where all the crowd might see him, 
and said in a loud voice, “Ye men of Judah, and you who are strang- 
ers in Jerusalem, these are not drunk as you suppose. But on them. 


THE SOUND AS OF A RUSHING WIND 


531 


God has poured out his Holy Spirit, as he promised in the prophecy 
of Joel, which reads thus in your Sacred B'ook: ‘And it shall come to 
pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all peo- 
ple, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. ’ ” 

When Peter began to speak the people grew quiet and listened to 
his words. And he preached to them a great sermon, showing them 
how God had sent his Son, Jesus, into the world to he their Redeemer. 
But they had refused to receive him and had given him over to the 
Roman soldiers to be killed as a wicked person. Yet God had raised 
him from the dead on the third day, and had received him back to 
heaven. Quietly the people listened, a|nd Peter preached on, explain- 
ing to them why the Holy Spirit had fallen upon the friends of Jesus 
that day. And at the end of his sermon he proved to them that God 
had made the J esus wjhom they crucified both Lord and Christ. 

Peter’s words brought fear upon the people who stood listening. 
How guilty they felt! Now they cried out, “What shall we do?” And 
Peter replied, “Repent of the wrong you have done and he baptized 
in the name of Jesus Christ. Then God will forgive your sins and will 
give you the Holy Spirit as he has given to us. For the promise of the 
Holy Spirit is given not only to us hut to every one who shall believe 
on the Lord and be saved from sin.” 

Because of Peter’s great sermon many people believed that Jesus 
is the Son of God. And on that day three thousand believers were 
added to the one hundred and twenty who first met to worship God in 
the upper room. These believers were baptized in the name of the 
Lord Jesus, and they, too, rejoiced greatly because they knew their 
sins had been forgiven. 

By the power of the Holy Spirit the apostles now worked many 
signs and wonders in Jerusalem, and fear fell upon the people who 
saw and heard them. And every day more believers were added to 
their number, until their congregation became a great company of 
people. 

Many of those who believed on Jesus sold their possessions and 
divided their money with those who were poor. And they met every 
day to praise God and worship him in the temple, and others who saw 
and heard them also believed. This was the beginning of the early 
Christian church, which is called in the Scriptures the ‘ ‘ church of God. ’ ’ 


532 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 2 

THE CRIPPLED BEGGAR WHO RECEIVED A WONDERFUL GIFT 

Acts 3:1-4:31 

Just outside the gate called Beautiful which led into the temple 
sat a poor cripple who had never walked a step. From his babyhood 
he had always been a cripple, unable to move himself about. Now he 
was a grown man, forty years old, and every morning his friends car- 
ried him to the place where he lay just outside the Beautiful gate. 

Because this poor man could not walk, he begged for a living. His 
friends carried him to the temple gate, where many people entered 
each day to pray. He believed that when these people saw* him they 
would pity him and give him money. And they did. 

One afternoon Peter and John went up to the temple to pray. As 
they were about to enter the Beautiful gate, the crippled beggar saw 
them. He called to them and asked for a gift of money, just as he had 
begged from every other passer-by. The two apostles stopped and 
turned to look on him. Seeing his pitiful condition, Peter said to the 
man, ‘ ‘ Look on us ! ’ ’ And the cripple looked up, expecting to receive 
at least a small coin. But Peter said to him, ‘ ‘ Silver and gold I do not 
have, but what I do have I give to you.” Then with a tone of com- 
mand he said: “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and 
walk ! ’ 9 

With these words Peter took the surprized man by his right hand 
and lifted him up, and at once strength came into the feet and ankles 
that had always been helpless. Then the man sprang up and walked 
and leaped about, praising God. With Peter and John he went into 
the temple, and there he rejoiced aloud. The people who saw him 
walking and leaping for joy were amazed, because they knew he was 
the same beggar who had asked them for money when they entered 
the gate. 

The happy man, wishing to express his great joy, then seized 
Peter and John, and while the three stood on Solomon’s porch the 
astonished people gathered round to look on them. Seeing the people 
gather, Peter spoke to them and said, ‘ 4 Men of Israel, why do you won- 
der at this that has happened to the lame man? And why do you look 
so earnestly upon us, as though we by our own power or holiness made 
this man to walk?” He told them that the God of Abraham, of Isaac, 
and of J acob, whom they called their forefathers, had glorified his Son 
Jesus, whom they had refused to believe. “Even in the presence of 


THE BEGGAR WHO RECEIVED A WONDERFUL GIFT 533 



Pilate, the Roman governor,” said Peter, “you denied Jesus, when 
Pilate was determined to let him go. But you killed the Prince of life, 
this same Jesus whom God raised up from the dead, and of whom we 
are witnesses. And through faith in the name of Jesus this man who 
was always crippled now walks, and has perfect strength in the pres- 
ence of you all.” 

The listening people were made sad to think they had not believed 


THE CRIPPLED BEGGAR WALKING WITH PETER AND JOHN 

in Jesus while he was with them. Peter, seeing their sorrow, said to 
them, “I know you did not realize what you were doing when you cried 
out in the mob to crucify the Lord of glory, neither did your rulers 
know; but God had showed by the prophets’ writings how these very 
things would happen to his Son. And now, if you will repent of your 
sins, they will be blotted out. God will forgive them and you will be 
free from their guilt.” These and more wlords Peter spoke earnestly 
to the listening crowd and many of the people believed in Jesus and 
were saved. 


534 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Soon the rulers of the temple, the chief priests, and other religious 
leaders who had caused Jesus to he put to death, heard about the heal- 
ing of the lame man. And they heard Peter preaching to the wonder- 
ing people who stood in the porch. For a while they listened, too, then 
they went away angry because Peter taught that Jesus had risen from 
the dead. They had paid the Roman soldiers much money to keep this 
marvelous thing secret and they were displeased to hear Peter and 
John boldly declare that God had raised up the man whom they had 
crucified. 1 1 This teaching must be stopped ! ’ ’ they cried, and in a 
little while they returned to take Peter and John off to prison. 

On the next day these angered rulers brought their prisoners be- 
fore the same wicked men who had tried Jesus, and these wicked men 
questioned Peter and John. First they asked, “By what power, or in 
what name, have you done this miracle V 9 

No longer was Peter afraid of these men. Now* he was filled 
with the courage that the Holy Spirit had given him, and he stood up 
boldly to speak. “If you are examining us by trial because of the 
miracle that has happened to this man who was born crippled, I de- 
clare to you that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you 
crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him does this man 
stand before you healed. ’ ’ The rulers looked on, amazed ; for they saw 
the man who had been crippled standing with Peter and John, his face 
beaming with joy. 

Not knowing just what to do, they dismissed the prisoners for a 
few moments and talked about the mjatter. They could not deny 1 that 
a great miracle had taken place, and they marveled ajt the boldness of 
the apostles, who were unlearned men. They knew these apostles had 
been with Jesus, and they knew the same wiorks Jesus did were being 
done by them. Although they had killed Jesus, now they saw they had 
not stopped his great work. Still they hoped to stop it, so they called 
the prisoners back and commanded them to teach no more in the name 
of Jesus. 

But Peter and John would not promise to obey them. They an- 
swered, “Whether it will be right for us to obey you rather than God, 
judge for yourselves ; for We can not keep from telling about the won- 
derful things that we have seen and heard. ’ 9 

The rulers threatened to punish them severely if they should catch 
them any more teaching in Jesus' name, and with such threats they let 
the men go free. And Peter and John returned to the company oif 
believers, who were called disciples, to tell of all that had befallen 
them. 


TWO HYPOCRITES IN’ THE EARLY CHURCH 


535 


Instead of complaining about this persecution, the disciples knelt 
down to pray. They talked to God, and told him how the wicked rulers 
who had killed Jesus were threatening to punish them! if they continued 
to preach about his resurrection from the dead. They did not ask God 
to protect them from the wrath of these wicked men, but they asked 
for more boldness, that they might continue to declare to all men the 
power of God in Christ Jesus, his Son. They asked God to help them 
work more miracles in the name of Jesus, even though this one had 
brought them into prison. 

God was pleased with such a prayer. He caused the place where 
they were assembled to be shaken by his great power. And again the 
Holy Spirit came upon them, giving them more courage and boldness 
to preach the gospel. 


STORY 3 

THE STORY ABOUT TWO HYPOCRITES IN THE EARLY CHURCH 

Acts 4:32-5 :11 

The people who now worshiped with the apostles numbered about 
five thousand, many times more than those one hundred and twenty 
who were together praying on the morning when the Holy Spirit was 
first given. This throng of believers met to worship God on the porch 
of the temple, called Solomon’s porch, where Peter had preached after 
the lame man was healed. 

In all this great number of people the selfish spirit was not shown. 
Some had little wealth, and others had none. Still others had plenty 
and enough to spare. Those who had plenty shared with those who 
had none, and every one’s needs Were supplied. Love in their hearts 
for their fellow men caused the rich to be kind to the poor, and to take 
care of them as if they were needy brothers. 

Many of the rich sold their houses and their farms. Then they 
brought the money to the apostles to divide among the poor people 
who worshiped with them, that none should need to be hungry or left 
without shelter. 

In the company of worshipers were a man and his wife whose 
names were Ananias and Sapphira. These people saw the others bring- 
ing their money to the apostles and they decided to sell their property 
also. But they did not want to give all the money to the apostles. 

Now, the tempter who came to Adami and Eve in the Garden of 
Eden whispered to this man and his wife. They listened, and he said: 


536 


BIBLiE-STORY BOOK 


‘ ‘ Sell the property if you wish, but keep back some of the money, and 
say that you are giving it all. Peter and the other apostles will be- 
lieve that you have given all just as the others are giving their all, and 
they need not know you have kept back a part for yourselves. ’ ’ Ana- 
nias and his wife thought the plan was a good one. They agreed 
together to tell the apostles they had brought all the money. And when 
the day came Ananias hurried to the apostles, carrying his bag of gold. 



BRINGING THEIR TREASURES TO THE APOSTLES 


Now it was not wrong for them to keep back a part of the money; 
but it was wrong to pretend to give all when they were giving only a 
part. God saw the desire in their hearts to deceive the apostles and 
appear very self-sacrificing, and he was not pleased. 

Ananias brought his bag of gold to the apostles and laid it down 
before them, saying he had sold his property and had brought the 
money to them. A guilty feeling stirred in his heart, but he looked at 
the apostles, expecting them to praise him for his self-denial Instead 


TWO HYPOCRITES IN THJE EARLY CHURCH 537 

of praising him, Peter looked squarely at him and said, “Ananias, 
why has the Tempter filled your heart with the thought to lie) to the 



THE SAD DEATH OF ANANIAS 

Holy Spirit and keep back a part of the price ? While the money was 
in your hands it belonged to you, and why have you thought to deceive 
us by pretending to bring all when you have really brought only a 
part? You are not lying to men, but to God.” 

When Ananias heard these words he fell backward and died. And 



538 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


the people who were present feared greatly, because they saw what a 
terrible thing it is to try to deceive God. Some young mien who were 
sitting near by rose up and took the dead man’s body away to bury it. 

Three hours passed by, and Sapphira, not knowing what had hap- 
pened to her husband, came into the room where the apostles were 
staying. Peter saw her and knew she was Ananias’ wife. He called 
her to him, and she came forward, possibly expecting him to praise her 
for the self-sacrifice she and her husband had made. 

But Peter did not look pleased. He asked, ‘ ‘ Did you and your hus- 
band sell your property for this sum of money ? ’ ’ She saw the amount, 
and she answered, “Yes.” Then Peter said, “How is it that you 
agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? The feet of the men 
who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you 
out also to your grave.” Sapphira fell down before Peter when she 
heard these words, and died on the same spot her husband had died on. 
And the young men camie in, picked up her body, and carried her out 
to bury her beside her husband. 

Great fear came upon all the other people of the early church, and 
upon those who were not believers in Jesus. And every one was afraid 
to pretend to be numbered among the believers unless he really knew 
his sins had been forgiven. 


STOBY 4 

WHEN PRISON DOORS SWUNG OPEN BY AN ANGEL’S TOUCH 

Acts 5 : 12-42 

News of the apostles’ teaching Was now talked about on every 
street in Jerusalem, and even in the cities round about people were 
hearing how the mighty power of God was being shown through these 
fearless men. Daily more believers were being added to the church, 
until it numbered several more thousands. 

And the great miracles performed by the apostles in the name of 
Jesus were also talked of everywhere. So wonderfully did the power 
of God to heal rest upon these men that sick folk were brought and 
laid in the streets where even the shadow of Peter passing by might 
fall upon them. And from other cities and towns sick people were 
brought, and people who were troubled by evil spirits ; and every one 
was healed. 

Now the wicked Jewish rulers were becoming more angry every 
day. They saw how the works of Jesus were steadily spreading 


WHEN PRISON DOORS SWUNG OPEN 


539 


farther and farther. They saw! how the people were honoring these 
apostles and the Christ they taught more than they were honoring the 
Jewish rulers themselves. And they said, 4 ‘We must do something at 
once to crush this new teaching out of the land. ’ ’ So they caught the 
apostles and threw them into prison, locking them securely inside. 
“Now,’ ’ they said to each other, “we shall see what comles of their 
followers. Soon those crazy people will forget, and we shall be rid of 
this excitement.” 

Night came on, and the rulers went home to rest, believing they 
would soon see the end of this trouble. But while they slept an angel 
from heaven, touched the iron doors of the prison, and passed inside 
to speak to the apostles. He told them to return again to the temple 
and speak boldly to the people wlho met there. And he led them from 
the prison into the cool night air of the quiet street. Then he left them, 
and they went to their own homes to rest. 

Early the next morning the high priest and his wicked counselors 
met together and prepared to conduct a trial. They sent officers to 
the prison to bring the apostles, but the officers returned alone. “We 
found the keepers standing before the prison doors, and the doors were 
tightly locked, ? ’ they said ; ‘ ‘ but when We entered the room no one was 
there. ’ ’ 

Now the high priest and the other rulers were perplexed. They 
wondered what had happened to the men whom they had shut up the 
plight before. But while they were talking about the matter, some one 
came to tell them that the apostles were again in the temple, teaching 
the people as bravely as ever. 

The rulers were afraid to seize the apostles roughly, for they knew 
the multitude who stood listening were friendly to these men and they 
thought the multitude might stone them if they knew of their wicked 
plans. So they sent officers to take them quietly and bring them to 
the council-room. 

When the apostles came, the rulers looked angrily at them and 
asked, ‘ ‘ Did we not strictly command you to teach no more in J erusa- 
lem concerning this man Jesus! And now why is it that you fill all 
the city with your doctrine, telling the people that We are guilty of the 
blood of this man!” 

But Peter and the other apostles stood up boldly, and said, “We 
ought to obey God rather than men. The! God of our fathers raised 
up this Jesus whom you killed and hanged on a tree. And God has 
made of this same Jesus a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to 
Israel and the forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these 


540 BIBLEi-STORY BOOK 

things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to them 
who obey him.” 

When the rulers heard these words they were filled with fury, and 
they talked excitedly among themselves. They wanted to turn the 
apostles over to the Romans at once, or kill them some other way. 
Then one of their number, a mlore thoughtful man, stood up and asked 
that the apostles be dismissed from the room for a few moments. 
While they were outside he spoke to his fellows in words like these: 
4 4 Men of Israel, be careful how you deal with these men. Let them 
alone; if their work is of men it will finally come to an end of itself, 
but if it is of God you can not overthrow it, and if you try to do so you 
will be found to be fighting against God.” 

Because this speaker was a very wise man, and much honored as 
a teacher of the law, the others listened to him and decided that it 
would be best to let the apostles live. But their anger aigainst the 
apostles was not lessened, and they called them into the council-room 
once more and gave them severe beatings. TJien they sent them away, 
commanding them to teach or speak in the name of Jesus never again. 

With bleeding backs the apostles departed from the presence of 
the Wicked rulers. But as they went they rejoiced because they were 
counted worthy to suffer for Jesus’ sake. They knew their own suf- 
ferings were slight compared with the suffering which their master 
had borne for the sins of all mien, and they did not expect to be treated 
better by these enemies than their master had been. Again they re- 
turned to the temple, and daily they continued to teach there and in 
the homes of the people concerning the Savior, Christ the Lord. 


STORY 5 

THE PREACHER WHO WAS STONED TO DEATH 

Acts 6 : 1—8 : 2 

’Gainst the cause of tr.uth and right 
Evil men will always fight, 

Even killing those who dare 
Gospel sermons to declare. 

But God watches from on high 
Those who live and those who die 
For his sake; and he will bless 
And reward their faithfulness. 


THE PREACHER WHO WAS STONED TO DEATH 541 


The number of disciples, or believers in Jesus, had now reached 
many thousands, and among them were Jews from different parts of 
the World. Some were called Grecians because they lived in countries 
where the Greek language was used, which they also spoke, and others 
were called Hebrews because they used the Hebrew language and lived 
in Palestine. 

There had been an unfriendly feeling between the Grecian Jews 
and the Hebrews for a long time. Now in this great company of be- 
lievers in Jesus this unfriendly feeling tried to show itself. Among 
the poor widows it seems that the needs of the Grecian ones were being 
overlooked. Their Grecian friends saw this, and began to complain 
that they were not being cared for properly. 

The apostles heard this complaint, and at once they called the mul- 
titude of believers together, and said: “It is not right that we should 
spend all our time looking after the needs of the poor. We must 
preach the gospel. There are other faithful men among you who can 
attend to this matter of caring for the needy ones. Choose out seven 
wise men who are filled with the Holy Spirit, and let them! do this work, 
that we may have more time to pray and to preach. ’ ’ 

This plan pleased all the people, both the Hebrews and the Gre- 
cians, so they chose seven faithful men to divide the money among those 
who had need. These men they brought before the apostles, who 
prayed and laid their hands upon them. 

Stephen was the first man whom they chose for this work. An- 
other man was named Philip. These two men were also preachers of 
the gospel. About the other five we hear but little. 

From the first Stephen’s great faith in God showed itself by the 
miracles he performed among the people. And he spoke boldly about 
Jesus to those who hated the believers, for the Holy Spirit gave him 
courage to do this. 

In Jerusalem was a synagog where the foreign Jews met together 
to study the Scriptures. Here Stephen went to preach the gospel. 
And certain men who were leaders of the synagog argued against his 
teachings and tried to prove that Jesus is not the Christ. But they 
could not prove their argument, for God gave Stephen great wisdom 
to declare the truth about Jesus. When these evil-minded men saw 
that Stephen had spoken wisely they were angered, and at once they 
planned to destroy this faithful man. 

Calling some friends who were not careful to speak the truth, they 
hired them to publish among the Jews that Stephen was teaching 
against the law of Moses, and was speaking evil words against the 


542 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 



temple. As soon as the rulers and scribes heard this report they caught 
Stephen and dragged him into the council-room where the apostles had 
been tried. There they surrounded him, and questioned him about the 
things they heard. 

Stephen wasl not afraid to 1 speak bravely to these enemies of the 
truth and right. He talked very earnestly to them about their fathers 
who had lived long ago. He repeated to them the familiar story of 


the Israelites, beginning with the time of Abraham. He showed them 
how their fathers had disobeyed God’s laws and refused to listen to 
God’s prophets, even when God had blessed them so much. 

As Stephen talked, his face began to shine like an angel’s. Those 
who stood in the council-room saw the heavenly light, but they gave no 
heed to it. When he told them about the sins of their fathers, the rul- 
ers grew angry. Their eyes flashed wickedly, and Stephen knew they 
were even then thinking how to kill him. Still he was not afraid. Look- 


STEPHEN BEING KILLED WITH STONES 


A MAN WHO TRIED TO BUY THE HOLY SPIRIT 543 


ing up, he saw the heavens open and Jesus, the Savior, standing by 
the great white throne. God permitted him to see this wonderful 
glimpse of heavenly glory that he might have more courage to face 
his enemies. Then he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and 
the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” 

These words filled the rulers with great fury, and they rose from 
their seats, stopped their ears, and cried out aga|inst him. Then, like 
blood-thirsty animals, they rushed upon] him and dragged him out of 
the council-room, and outside the city gate. Here those who had 
spoken false words against him took off their garments, threw them 
down at the feet of a young Pharisee named Saul, and picked up stones 
to hurl at Stephen. 

But even here Stephen’s courage did not fail. He raised his eyes 
toward heaven and prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then 
he knelt down, and while the stones struck his body he prayed, just as 
Jesus prayed when he hung on the cross— “Lord, lay not this sin to 
their charge.” And after this he fell asleep in death, the first one to 
be killed by God ’s enemies in their efforts to destroy the church of God. 

Some men who had known Stephen heard about his death, and they 
took up his mangled body and buried it tenderly. Then they mourned 
for him with loud and bitter cries, for they had loved this earnest 
young man who gave up his life to defend the gospel. 


STORY 6 

A MAN WHO TRIED TO BUY THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH MONEY 

Acts 8 : 1-25 

In the city of Samaria, about thirty miles north of Jerusalem, lived 
a man whose name was Simon. For a long time this man had made 
the people of Samaria believe he was some great person. He would 
perform cunning tricks before them, which they could not understand. 
And they thought he had received power from God to do these things. 
But Simon was a] very wicked man, and he had received power from 
Satan instead of from God. 

One day a preacher came to Samaria from Jerusalem. This 
preacher was Philip, one of the seven men whom the multitude had 
chosen to help care for the poor widows. No longer Was he needed in 
Jerusalem to do this good work, for the multitude of believers were 
now scattered, and very few remained in Jerusalem with the apostles. 


544 


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After Stephen’s death the enemies of Jesus had grown bold and they 
had tried to destroy the new religion by troubling the believers. Some 
they had caught and thrown intot prisons. Saul, the young Pharisee 
who stood by watching when Stephen was being stoned, now became 
one of the bitterest enemies. He went from house to house, searching 
for men and women who worshiped with the apostles, and when he 
found them he shut them up in prison. Because of these things the be- 
lievers no longer met each day to worship in the temple, and many of 
them left Jerusalem and went to live in other cities. 

The men and women who fled from J erusalem did not run away to 
hide like cowards. They did not feel sad because they were believers 
in Christ. Everywhere they went they talked to other people about 
Jesus, and soon the new religion began to spread faster than ever. 
And so it was that Philip came to preach the gospel in Samaria. 

The people of Samaria listened closely to Philip ’s preaching. They 
had never heard the gospel story before. Now they saw Philip work 
miracles among them in the name of Jesus, and they wondered at the 
great power God had given to him. Many of them believed in Jesus 
wfhen they saw the sick and the lame healed through faith in Jesus’ 
name. And they paid no more heed to Simon, whom they had thought 
to be a great man before Philip came, for now Philip was doing greater 
things than Simon had ever done. 

Simon, too, came to hear Philip preach and to see the miracles he 
performed. He watched this preacher from Jerusalem heal the sick 
and cast out evil spirits. He saw him cause even the lame to walk. 
And he knew the power Philipj had was greater than his own, so he 
joined the company of believers in Samaria and was baptized with 
them. But all the while he had never repented of his sins and wicked- 
ness. 

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Philip’s preaching in 
Samaria had caused many people to accept Jesus as the Savior, they 
sent Peter and John to visit them. And these two men came to tell 
them more about the power of God, for as yet none of the Samaritans 
had received the Holy Spirit. When Peter and John prayed for them 
and laid their hands on them, God gave the Holy Spirit to the Samar- 
itan believers too. 

Simon looked on with increasing winder when he saw how Peter 
and John prayed and laid their hands on these people who received 
the Holy Spirit. He thought in his heart, “If only I had such power 
I might again seem to be a great man among these people. Perhaps I 
can persuade these visitors from Jerusalem to sell this power to me.” 


PHILIP PREACHES TO A STRANGER 


545 


So he came to the apostles, saying, “I will give you money if you will 
sell me this power to lay my hands on whomever I please that they may 
receive the Holy Spirit. ’ ’ 

But Peter looked at Simon and said, “You wicked person! May 
your money he lost with you if you think God’s gifts can be bought. 
You do not have any part in this work, for your heart is not right in 
God’s sight. Unless you repent of your sins and pray God to forgive 
your wicked thoughts you will be lost, for now you are bound fast with 
sin as with a chain.” 

Simon was frightened when he heard Peter’s wtords. Even yet 
he did not understand, for he did not know how God could make his 
heart right. So he asked Peter to pray for him, that he might not be 
lost. But we do not know that he ever repented of his sins and turned 
to God. 

After their visit in Samaria, Peter and John returned again to 
Jerusalem, passing through other villages along the way and preaching 
the gospel to all who would listen. And all the while more believers 
were being added to God’s church; for wherever people believed in 
Jesus as their Savior from sin they became members of the church 
of God. 


STORY 7 

PHILIP PREACHES TO A STRANGER ON A LONELY ROAD 

Acts 8 : 26-40 

After Peter and John went back to Jerusalem, one day an angel 
spoke to Philip and told him to leave Samaria too and go on an errand. 
Philip did not know just what the errand would be, but he rose up at 
once to obey the angel’s command. 

Along the dusty road he traveled, going south till he came to 
Jerusalem. Still farther south he went, not stopping to visit the apos- 
tles or any of his friends in the city. Now the road began to lead to- 
ward the desert of Gaza, and few 1 people went that way. 

But Philip was not the only traveler on the road that day. Ahead 
of him, riding in a chariot, was a stranger who had come many, many 
miles to worship God at the temple in Jerusalem. This stranger was 
from the land of Ethiopia, and he was an officer of the queen of that 
country. He had heard about the true God and he wished to become 
a worshiper of that God. He had come all the long way from Ethiopia, 
and now he was returning again to his homeland. 


546 


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God saw the desire in this man’s heart to worship him in the right 
manner. He knew the rulers in Jerusalem would not help the man to un- 
derstand the true religion, so he sent Philip on this errand to preach 
to the stranger. When Philip saw the chariot, God by his Spirit caused 
him to understand why he had been sent. So Philip ran to catch up 
with the chariot. 

While in Jerusalem this Ethiopian had bought a copy of the 
Scriptures to take with him to his own land. And as he rode along he 

read aloud from 
God’s Book. 
When Philip 
came near he 
heard the man 
reading from the 
book of prophecy 
that Isaiah had 
written. 

Philip walked 
along beside the 
chariot and lis- 
tened. Present- 
ly he asked, “Do 
you understand 
what you are 
reading ? ” The 
Ethiopian looked 
up quickly, and 
seeing Philip, re- 

PHILIP TEACHING THE MAN FROM ETHIOPIA plied, “HOW Can 

. T1 ' I understand 

when I have no one to teach me?” He then invited Philip to ride with 
him in the chariot and tell him the meaning of the strange words he 
had just read. 

These are the words he read of Isaiah’s prophecy: 

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, 

And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, 

So he opened not his mouth. 

His story who can tell! 

For his life is taken from the earth.” 


“About whom is the prophet writing?” asked the Ethiopian, “is 


THE PLAN THAT WAS SPOILED BY A VISION 


547 


it of himself or some other man?’ ’ Then Philip began at that very scrip- 
ture to preach to him about Jesus; for Isaiah had used those words to 
describe how Jesus would be treated by his enemies. 

The story of Jesus was new to the Ethiopian. He listened eagerly, 
and believed every word of this strange preacher who rode beside him 
in the chariot. He knew now that his long journey to Jerusalem had 
not been made in vain, for he was learning the very thing he had longed 
to understand. 

As they rode along the highway they came to a place where there 
was water. The Ethiopian thought at once of what Philip had told 
him about baptism, so he said, 4 4 See ! here is water ; why may I not be 
baptized?” Philip answered, 4 ‘If you believe with all your heart 
you may be baptized just as others who believe.” And the man re- 
plied, “I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 

At this he commanded the servant who drove the chariot to stop, 
and he stepped out with Philip and Went down with him into the water. 
And Philip baptized him there. 

When they were coming out of the water the Spirit of God caught 
away Philip, and the Ethiopian saw him no more. But he went on his 
homeward journey rejoicing because he had found the true religion. 
Now he knew that his sins were forgiven through faith in Jesus’ blood. 
And now he, too, could tell others about the gospel story. 

After this had happened Philip came to a place called Azotus, and 
as he went he preached the gospel in every city along the way, until 
finally he came to Caesarea, a city on the shore of the Mediterranean 
Sea. 


STORY 8 

THE WICKED PLAN THAT WAS SPOILED BY A VISION OF JESUS 

Acts 9 : 1-21 

Saul, the young Pharisee, was a Jew. Although his home was in 
another country, he had come to Jerusalem when a boy to study the 
Jews’ religion, and now he wjas a very strict Pharisee. He believed in 
the law of Moses, and he thought the new religion of Jesus would de- 
stroy this law which God gave to Moses. Therefore he was angry with 
the believers in Jesus, and he wished to be rid of them all. 

The chief priests and scribes were glad to have sijch an earnest 
young man as Saul take their part and defend their cause. They gave 
him permission to treat the disciples shamefully, hoping in this way to 


548 


BIBLE- STORY BOOK 


% 



THE NORTH GATE OF JERUSALEM THROUGH WHICH SAUL NO DOUBT PASSED. 

IT IS CALLED THE DAMASCUS GATE 




THE PLAN THAT WAS SPOILED BY A VISION 


549 


discourage others from accepting the new teachings. And so it was that 
Saul labored night and day working and planning how he might destroy 
the church in Jerusalem. And because of his work the prison-houses 
were crowded with men and wpmen who clung to their faith in Jesus, 
but no longer were there listening crowds standing in the temple to 
hear the apostles teach. Saul had indeed stopped the public worship of 
these people, and he thought he had done a good work. 

About this time news came to Jerusalem that the religion of Jesus 
was spreading in other cities. Instead of destroying it, the enemies 
were only scattering it farther and causing it to increase faster than 
before. What should they do? Saul, the Pharisee, became more angry 
than ever. “I will stop this crazy religion yet!” he cried; and, rush- 
ing to the high priest, he asked permission to go as an officer to a Gen- 
tile city called Damascus and search amiong the Jews there for dis- 
ciples of Jesus. He planned to kill them or bind them as prisoners 
and carry them back to Jerusalem. No doubt he hoped to visit every 
city and every village where the believers had gone to teach about 
Christ, and destroy the meetings as he had broken up the religious wor- 
ship in Jerusalem. 

The high priest wrote letters to the rulers of the synagogs in 
Damascus, telling them about SauPs purpose and commanding them to 
help Saul find the believers who might be in the city. These letters 
Saul took, and calling some friends he started at once on the long jour- 
ney to Damascus. The road they traveled led north from Jerusalem 
and passed through numbers of villages and towns. By and by he 
came near to Damascus, the Gentile city where a large number of Jews 
had accepted the new faith. 

Messengers from Jerusalem had already arrived to warn the dis- 
ciples in Damascus about SauPs work. They told about his bitter 
hatred of believers everywhere. And they told also of his soon com- 
ing to Damascus with letters from the high priest to the rulers of the 
synagogs, commanding that every believer in Jesus should be punished 
or imprisoned. And the believers wondered wbat they should do, for 
they feared the wrath of this proud young man. 

On the last day of that journey the company of riders from Jeru- 
salem were nearing the great wall of Damascus when suddenly they 
stopped. A light from the sky, brighter than the shining noonday sun, 
had smitten them and struck them to the ground. And with the light 
came a voice from heaven, which only Saul understood though his com- 
panions heard the sound. This voice said, ‘ ‘ Saul ! Saul ! why are you 
persecuting me?” Now Saul was greatly surprized. He had thought 


550 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


lie was defending the true religion when lie opposed the believers in 
Jesus. And he cried out, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice an- 
swered, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are fighting against. lit 
is hard for you to oppose me. ’ ’ 

Like a flash of lightning Saul remembered how cruelly he had 
treated men and women who believed in this Jesus. He saw how wicked 

he had been. Now he cried out, “What 
shall I do, Lord?” and Jesus an- 
swered, “Rise up and go into Damas- 
cus ; there you shall be told what you 
must do.” So Saul rose up; but he 
could not see which way to go, for the 
great light had blinded his eyes. 

The men who were with Saul had 
also seen the light, but they were not 
blinded by its brightness. They, too, 
rose up, trembling with fright, and led 
him by the hand into the city. Here 
they took him to the house of a man 
whose name was Judas, and left him there. 

Three days passed by, and Saul sat alone in dark blindness. He 
would neither eat nor drink, for his sorrow of heart was great. He 
saw himself a very wicked man; not a righteous person at all, though 
he was a famous Pharisee. Then one night God gave him a, vision. In 
the vision he seemed to see a believer named Ananias coming to put 
his hands on the blinded eyes that they might have sight again. 

And, sure enough, there was in the city of Damascus a believer 
named Ananias. This man also had a vision from God. And in the 
vision he heard God’s voice calling, “Ananias !” He answered, “Here 
I am, Lord,” and the voice said, “Rise up, and go to the street called 
Straight, and ask at the house of Judas for a mian called Saul, of Tar- 
sus, the city where he was born, for this man is praying. And he has 
seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand 
on him, that he might receive his sight.” 

These tidings surprized Ananias. He could hardly believe what 
he heard, for he knew of Saul, the great persecutor of believers every- 
where. Now he exclaimed, “Lord, I have heard many things about 
this man, how much evil he has done to those at Jerusalem who believe 
in Jesus ; and even here he has been given power to make prisoners 
of all the believers he can find . 9 9 But God answered, 4 ‘ Go your way as 
I have commanded ; for Saul is a chosen servant of mine to carry my 



HOW A BASKET WAS USED TO SAVE A MAN’S LIFE 551 


name to the Gentiles and even before kings of the earth, as well as to 
the Jews. And I will show liimi how he must suffer great things for 
miy sake.” 

Ananias was no longer afraid to obey, for he believed the words 
God had spoken to him. So he rose up at once, and went out to search 
for Saul. And when he found the blind visitor in Judas’ home he spoke 
to him kindly, saying, 4 4 Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared 
to you on the road when you were coming to this city, has sent me 
that you might receive your sight, and receive the Holy Spirit. ’ ’ Then 
he placed his hands upon Saul, and what seemed to be scales fell from 
the blinded eyes of the stricken man. 

Now Saul could see again, and he rose up to be baptized. He was 
eager to do the things that would please God, and no longer did he feel 
hatred in his heart toward any one. His friends brought food to him, 
and when he ate of it, strength came into his body. Then he went to 
the synagogs, not to seize the believers in Jesus, but to worship with 
them. And he began at once to teach those who crowded to see him 
that Jesus is the Christ, whom God had sent to be the Savior of men. 


STORY 9 

HOW A BASKET WAS USED TO SAVE A MAN’S LIFE 

Acts 9 : 21-31 ; 22 : 17-21 ; Gal. 1 : 17-24 

The Jews of Damascus were surprized when they found Saul in 
their synagogs worshiping with the disciples of Jesus. They were 
even more surprized to hear him preach boldly in the name of Jesus. 
They asked, wonderingly, “Is not this the man who imprisoned and 
even killed many people in Jerusalem because they believed Jesus is 
the Christ? We heard that he was coming to our city to persecute the 
believers here, and how is it that he now worships with them?” 

But Saul continued to worship with the disciples, and every day 
he taught in the Jewish synagogs that Jesus is the Christ. Then he 
bade his new-found friends good-by, and went away into a country 
called Arabia, There he prayed much and studied the Scriptures until 
he understood the words of the prophets who had told about the com- 
ing Messiah. Now he saw clearly that Jesus of Nazareth, whom he 
used to despise as a false teacher, is the very one of whom 1 the proph- 
ets had written. 

From Arabia Saul returned again to Damascus, and preached even 


552 


BIBLE-STOBY BOOK 


more boldly than before. And the Jewish teachers who did not believe 
in Jesns were unable to prove that his teaching was wrong. When they 
saw that many of the Jews were beginning to accept the new religion, 
they became angry with Saul and planned to kill him. They set 
watchers by the gates of the high wall which surrounded the city, and 
commanded these men to kill Saul if he should try to escape through 
one of the gates. Then they determined to seize him before he could 
even try to get away. 

But Saul knew about their plans, and so did his friends. These 
friends believed that God had much work for Saul to do before he 

should die, so they hid him until night 
darkened the city. They they brought 
him to a building that stood on top of 
the great wall and let him down to the 
ground in a large basket. Once out- 
side the city it was not difficult for 
him to find a place of safety. 

But wfyere should he go! Saul re- 
membered his friends in Jerusalem— 
the chief priests and scribes and Phar- 
isees. No longer would they be his 
friends; for no doubt they had heard 
long ago that he had ceased to help 
them fight against the new religion. 
Three years had passed by and he had 
never yet brought any prisoners from 
Damascus as he had planned to do 
when he left them. No longer would 
they be his friends. 

Then Saul thought of the ones 
whom he used to persecute in Jeru- 
salem. Now he loved them and longed 
to worship with them. He longed to 
tell them how the love of Jesus had 
changed his wicked heart, taking away 
all the hatred that had made him their 
bitter enemy. So he came to Jerusalem and hurried to find the apos- 
tles and their faithful friends. 

But the first meeting of Saul and the other disciples was not a 
happy one. The news of his conversion had never reached the ears of 
these people, and they were afraid that he was only pretending to be 



SAUL ESCAPING IN A BASKET 


HOW A BASKET WAS USED TO SAVE A MAN’S LIFE 553 


a disciple. They thought he might be planning to do more mischief to 
the work of God by acting friendly now. This was a sad time for Saul. 
He knew the disciples of Jesus had reason to be afraid of him; for 
they remembered how roughly he used to treat them, and even cause 
some of their number to be killed. H]e saw they did not know about 
the great change that had taken place in his heart and life; for now 
he loved them as brothers and sisters. 

Then Saul found a friend in the kind-hearted man named Bar- 
nabas, who was also a believer. Barnabas listened to his story about 
the vision on the road to Damascus, and about the change this vision 
had caused in his life. And Barnabas felt sure that Saul was now a 
true believer in Jesus. So he brought him to the apostles, and told 
them to receive Saul kindly, for Jesus had. spoken to him from heaven 
and had called him to be a follower, just as they had been called. 

After this time the church in Jerusalem received Saul gladly, for 
they rejoiced because God had changed their enemy into a true friend. 
And Saul visited with Peter for fifteen days. During this time he went 
to the synagogs where he used to seize disciples and beat them. Now 
he taught there boldly in the name of Jesus. His old friends were 
amazed at his teaching, and soon they showed their displeasure toward 
him by planning to kill him as they had killed Stephen and others who 
believed in Jesus. 

Saul knew about their ill feelings toward him; but he was willing 
to give his life for Jesus, just ais Stephen had done. God, however, 
had more work for Saul to do, so he appeared to him one day while 
he was praying in the temple, and told him to prepare to leave the city 
quickly, because his former friends would not believe that he had seen 
Jesus in a vision. God told Saul that he must be a preacher of the 
gospel to the people who lived in other countries, for Jesus was the 
Savior not only of the Jews but of the Gentiles, too. 

After Saul had seen this vision the apostles heard about the plans 
of the Jews tod kill him, so they took him away from Jerusalem and 
brought him to the city of CteeJsarea, on the sea-coast, where Philip had 
made his home. And from this place Saul took ship and sailed to Tar- 
sus, the city in Asia Minor where he had been born. And after he left 
Jerusalem the excitement of the unfriendly Jews died out, and rest 
came to all the believers who had been troubled by these wicked men. 
During this time of rest and quiet the church continued to grow in 
numbers in every city and village where the gospel story had been told. 


554 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 10 

A SICK MAN HEALED, AND A DEAD WOMAN BROUGHT 
BACK TO LIFE 

Acts 9 : 32-43 

When the disciples, or believers in Jesus, spoke of their fellow 
worshipers, they called them saints. For these men and women had 
hearts purified by faith in Jesus, and therefore they also lived holy 
lives, as true saints do. 

The apostles at Jerusalem Were pleased to hear that there were 
many disciples, or saints, in other cities throughout the land. Some- 
times they visited them and encouraged them to serve the Lord. 

One day while Peter was visiting the saints in Lydda, a city near 
the Great Sea, he sa,w there a man named iEneasi who had been sick 
with palsy for eight years and unable to leave his cot. Peter looked 
with pity upon the poor man, and then he said to him, “2Eneas, Jesus 
Christ makes you well! Rise up, and make your bed. ” 

iEneas was glad to hear thefee words. He believed them, and when 
he tried to raise himself strength came into his feeble body at once 
and he was made perfectly well. This was the first miracle Peter per- 
formed at this place, and many people who knew iEneas believed in 
the Lord. They met with the saints to worship God and to hear Peter 
preach the gospel story. 

In a city called Joppa, not far from Lydda, was another company 
of believers. Among them was a Woman named Dorcas, who by her 
kind words and helpful deeds had brought gladness to many poor peo- 
ple. And every one who knew Dorcas loved her dearly. 

While Peter was stopping with the saints in Lydda, Dorcas fell 
sick. Soon her sickness became so severe that she died. Her death 
brought great sorrow to the hearts of her friends, for they thought 
they could not spare such a good woman as she ha,d been. The saints 
in Joppa felt unwilling to have her taken away from them. They had 
heard that Peter was at Lydda, and at once they sent for him to come 
quickly. 

When the messengers returned from Lydda, Peter was with them. 
They brought him to the house where Dorcas had died and led him to 
the room up-stairs where she was lying. Many of Dorcas’ friends 
stood about him, weeping bitterly. And widowed mothers brought 
garments which Dorcas had made for them and for their children to 
show these things to Peter. They wanted him to understand how much 


THE GREAT SHEET LET DOWN FROM HEAVEN 555 


they still needed this good woman to encourage them and help them 
out of their troubles. 

Peter knew what Jesus would have done in a time like this. He 
knew Jesus was touched with the sorrow of others, and his own heart, 
too, was touched. He commanded every one to leave the room, and 
when he was alone with the dead body he prayed. Then turning toward 
the body he said, “Tabitha, arise !” And the woman opened her eyes. 
Seeing Peter, she sat up, and he gave her his hand and lifted her up. 
Then he called the saints and poor widowls to reenter the room. How 
happy they were to see their dear friend alive once more! 

The news of this wonderful miracle spread rapidly through Joppa, 
and many people became interested. When they heard the gospel 
preached they also believed in the Lord and were saved from their 
sins. And Peter stayed for a long time in this city by the Great Sea, 
stopping at the home of a man who was called Simon, the tanner. 


STORY 11 

THE GREAT SHEET LET DOWN FROM HEAVEN, AND 
WHAT IT TAUGHT 

Acts 10:1-11:18 

In the city of Caesarea, about thirty miles north of Joppa, lived 
a Gentile whose name Was Cornelius. This man was an officer in the 
Roman army, having command of one hundred soldiers. He was called 
a centurion, but we today would call such an officer a captain. 

Cornelius, although a Gentile, feared the true God and worshiped 
him. He also taught his household to serve God instead of idols. And 
because of his good example some of his soldiers forsook their idols 
and worshiped the God of the Jews. Cornelius had a kind heart, and 
he pitied the poor. Often he gave them offerings to help them when they 
were in distress. And every day he prayed to God as earnestly as did 
the religious Jews. 

One afternoon while Cornelius was praying, suddenly an angel 
appeared in the room and called him by name. Cornelius was fright- 
ened to see the heavenly being, and he asked, “What is it, Lord!” 
Thef angel said, “Your prayers are heard in heaven, and your good 
works have been seen by God and are remembered by him. Now send 
men to Joppa, and inquire at the house of Simon the tanner, who lives 


556 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


by the seaside, for a man named Simon Peter. This man will tell you 
what you ought to do. ’ ’ 

When the angel went away, Cornelius quickly summoned two of 
Iiis household servants and one of his soldiers who also feared God. Hie 
told them about the angel’s visit and command and sent them at once 
to Joppa, on this errand. So the men started. , 

On the next day about noon the messengers from Cornelius were 
nearing Joppa. At this same time Peter had a vision from God. He 



PETER AND WHAT HE SAW 


had become very hungry, and while dinner was being prepared he went 
up on top of the house to pray. Here in this quiet place he fell into 
a strange sleep. While he slept he saw coming down from the sky 
a great sheet caught at the four corners. This sheet was filled with 
all kinds of animals, both tame and wild. As it came dowjn to the 
ground a voice from heaven said, “Rise up, Peter! kill and eat.” 

Peter looked into the sheet and saw that every kind of animal was 



THE GREAT SHEET LET DOWN FROM HEAVEN 557 

in it. Now, the Jews were very careful ta eat only certain meats, as 
the law of Moses forbade them to eat some kinds of animals. Those 
forbidden ones the Jews called “common” and “unclean.” When 
Peter saw such animals in the sheet he said, “No, Lord, I can not eat, 
for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” Then 
the voice replied, “What God has made clean do not call common.” 

The sheet with its contents was lifted back to heaven and lowered 
the second time, and the third. Still Peter refused to touch the ani- 
mals, because he was a Jew. Then the sheet disappeared out of sight, 
and Peter awoke. While he was wondering what this strange dream, 
or vision, might mean, the messengers from Cornelius stopped before 
the gate at Simon the tanner’s house and inquired for Peter. And the 
Spirit of God spoke to him, saying, 6 4 Go down at once, for three men 
stand at the gate inquiring for you. Do not doubt, but go with them, 
for I have sent them.” Now Peter was fully awiake, and he promptly 
obeyed. 

When he came down to the gate he said to the messengers, “I am 
the man for whom you inquire. What do you ask of me ? ’ ’ They told 
him about their master, Cornelius, who lived in Caesarea, and how the 
angel of God had commanded him to send for Peter. Then Peter in- 
vited them inside, and he lodged them until the next day. 

Peter took six men from Joppa, who were also believing Jews, 
and went with the servants of Cornelius to Caesarea. They followed the 
winding roadway by the seashore, and did not arrive at Cornelius’ 
home until the fourth day after the angel had spoken to him. When 
they came they found a house full of people waiting to see Peter and 
to hear his words. 

Never before had Peter been entertained in the home of a Gen- 
tile. Strict Jews refused to be on friendly terms with the Gentiles, 
because they knew such friendships had brought idol-worship among 
their people in other days. But the meaning of that vision on the 
housetop now became clear to Peter’s mind, and he willingly stepped 
across' the threshold of Cornelius’ house to greet the Gentile family 
who waited so eagerly for his coming. 

When Cornelius saw Peter he fell down at his feet to worship him. 
He thought Peter must be like a god, because the angel had told him 
to send for Peter to tell him how he might be saved. But Peter lifted 
him up, and said* “Stand on your feet; I also am a man like you.” 
Then Cornelius led him into the crowded room where, the relatives and 
friends of the family were waiting. All were Gentiles, but all had 
forsaken their idols/ to worship the God of the Jews. And they, too, 


558 


BUBLEbSTORY BOOK 


were eager to be taught by Peter liow they might serve the Lord more 
perfectly. 

Peter looked into the faces of this company and said to them: “You 
know about the teaching of the Jews, how! it is unlawful for one of 
them to be entertained by persons of any other nation. But God has 
showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Be- 
cause of this I came to you as soon as I was sent for. And now I ask 

what has been your 
reason for calling 
me . 9 9 

Cornelius told 
him that one after- 
noon while he was 
praying an angel 
suddenly appeared 
in the room and told 
him to send to Jop- 
pa for a man named 
Simon Peter, who 
was living in the 
home of Simon the 
tanner, by the side 
of the sea. The an- 
gel said that Peter 
would tell him what he should do if he wished to be accepted by God. 

Peter answered, “Now I see that God accepts people of every na- 
tion who fear him and do righteous deeds. ’ ’ And at once he began to 
tell Cornelius and his friends about Jesus. He told them how Jesus 
had died to save people from their sins, and that whoever will believe 
in the name of Jesus might be saved. While he was talking, God gave 
the Holy Spirit to these listening Gentiles just as he had given the 
Holy Spirit to the believing Jews. 

The six men who came with Peter were astonished when they saw 
how God gave the Holy Spirit to Gentiles also. They, like Peter, had 
always been strict Jews, and even after they believed in Jesus they 
supposed that salvation from sin was for the Jews only. But now they 
saw that God’s plan of salvation was for people of every nation. 

Then Peter asked, “Should we forbid these Gentiles from being 
baptized in the name of Jesus just as we have been, seeing that God 
has given them the Holy Spirit, tool” And he taught them about bap- 
tism, as Jesus had commanded; then he baptized all who believed. 



PETER TELLING CORNELIUS ABOUT JESUS 


HOW PETER’S COMING BROKE UP A MEETING 559 


After their baptism these Gentile believers urged Peter and his 
companions from Joppa; to remain vvlith them for a while and teach 
them more about Jesus. So they spent several days with Cornelius 9 
household. Then they left Caesarea and returned to Jerusalem. 

News of the happenings in Caesarea had reached the church at 
Jerusalem before Peter and his companions arrived. Some of the be- 
lievers were displeased to hear that Peter, always a strict Jew, had en- 
tered a Gentile home and had been entertained there. Then he told them 
of his strange dream, or vision, which God had given him on the house- 
top in Joppa one day, and; about the coming of Cornelius’ servants. 
He told also how God’s Spirit had commanded him to go with these 
men because God had sent them. And he said that when he and his 
six Jewish companions came to Cornelius’ house, they found a crowd 
of eager listeners who believed in the true! God. These listeners, al- 
though Gentiles, received his words gladly, and God gave the Holy 
Spirit to them just as he had given the Holy Spirit to the believing 
Jews. 

When the believers at Jerusalem heard Peter’s story, they rejoiced 
because God’s salvation was intended for people of every nation. 


STORY 12 

HOW PETER’S COMING BROKE UP A MIDNIGHT 
PRAYER-MEETING 

Acts 12 

It was midnight; the streets were deserted and all was still. But 
even at this late hour not all the people of the city were! fast asleep. 
A group of men and wlomen were having prayer-meeting at the home 
of a widowed woman named Mary. For a long time they had been 
praying together, hut still they continued to pray. 

These people were believers in Jesus, and again they were being 
persecuted. Their persecutor now was the wicked king Herod Agrippa, 
whom the Roman government had appointed to rule the Jews. This 
Herod was a grandson of the Herod who killed all the little children 
at Bethlehem when Jesus was a baby, and a nephew of the Herod who 
caused the death of John the Baptist. 

Wishing to please the Jews, King Herod became friendly toward 
the religious rulers of the people. And soon he heard about the hatred 
that the chief priests and scribes felt toward those who had accepted 


560 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Jesus as the Savior of men. So at once he began to trouble the believ- 
ers. Seizing James, one of the apostles, he commanded his soldiers 
to kill this good man with a sword. And because the J ews were pleased, 
he decided to kill Peter, too. So he caught Peter and shut him up in 
prison, intending to keep him until after the feast days, and then bring 
him out to have him put to death in the presence of the Jews. 

The church was much distressed by the loss of James, and now 
when Peter was taken they felt that they could not spare him too. So 
they prayed daily for his release. But the days passed, and still Peter 
lay in the dreary prison. Finally the last day came and went but their 
prayers were yet unanswered. So the church met together in Mary’s 
home to pray all night. 

Peter was lying fast asleep, chained to two soldiers. Outside the 
prison' door other soldiers stood on guard, for they knew that before 
another night Peter would be imprisoned there no longer. They knew 
about Herod ’s plan, but they did not know about the greater plan 
of God. 

While Peter wias sleeping, an angel from God camie into the dark 
cell where he lay and touched him. The soldiers beside himj did not 
see the angel, neither did they hear him speak to Peter, telling him to 
rise up. But Peter obeyed, and the heavy chains fell off his hands. 
Then the angel bade him to put on his sandals, and tie his girdle about 
his waist. Hardly knowing what he was doing, Peter prepared him- 
self to leave the prison with the deliverer whom God had sent. Then 
the angel said, “Wrap your cloak about you,” and when Peter had 
done so they walked out of the cell, past the guards, and on to the great 
iron gate which opened into the city street. 

When they came to the iron gate it swung open easily to let them 
pass through, although it had been tightly locked. The angel led Peter 
through one street and then disappeared as suddenly as he had come. 

Now Peter understood what had really taken place. He had moved 
as if in a dream ; but now he was fully awakened. He decided at once 
to find some of his friends before leaving the city, and tell them what 
had happened. 

To the home of the widowed Mary he Went, for she had ai son 
named John Mark who was a friend of Peter’s. When he came to the 
door of the gate and knocked, the gate-reaper, a young girl named 
Rhoda, called, “Who is it?” At the sound of his answering voice she 
ran into the room where the people were kneeling in prayer and cried, 
excitedly, “Peter is come! Peter is come!” So delighted was she that 
she forgot to open the gate and ]et him in. 







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BELIEVERS IN' J ESUS FIRST GALLED CHRISTIANS 561 

But those who had been praying did not believe Rhoda’s words. 
They said, “You are crazed. ’’ 

Still she insisted that it was indeed Peter who had answered her 

call. 

Then they said, “It must be his angel.’ ’ 

While this excitement was going on, Peter stood outside the gate 
and continued to knock. Soon some one ran out to see, and there was 
Peter, for whom they had all been praying so earnestly. Then he 
came into the room, and motioned for them to keep quiet while he told 
them how wonderfully God had answered their prayer. 

Peter knew his danger was not yet over, so he bade the happy 
saints good-by and told them to send to James, a brother of Jesus, 
and to the other disciples word of his escape from prison. Then he 
went away to another place. 

Herod, the king, was very angry when word came to him the next 
morning that his prisoner had escaped. He questioned the keepers, 
but they knew nothing about the visit of the angel. They had stood 
watching at their post, and the prison doors were tightly locked, but 
Peter was not to be found anywhere. To express his displeasure, the 
King ordered the keepers to be put to death. 

Not long after this Herod himself died very suddenly. His death 
was so terrible that people believed God’s wrath had caused it. And 
from that time the disciples in Jerusalem were no longer persecuted 
so bitterly by their foes. 


STORY 13 

WHERE BELIEVERS IN JESUS WERE FIRST CALLED 
CHRISTIANS 

Acts 11 : 19-30 

With the persecution that came to the early church after the death 
of Stephen, men and women fled from Jerusalem to other cities and 
even , to neighboring countries. And everywhere they went they 
preached about Jesus to the Jews whom they met. 

Far to the north of Jerusalem, in the country of Syria, was a large 
city called Antioch. Some of the believers went to this city and 
preached Jesus to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. And many of 
the listeners were convinced that Jesus is the Christ, so they believed 


562 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


in him as their Savior. Others, mockingly, called them “Christians,” 
because they believed in 1 Christ. 

In those long-ago days news could not travel so fast as now, and 
much time passed by before the church in Jerusalem heard about the 
Gentile believers in this large city of Syria. When they did hear they 
at once planned to send some one of their number to visit this Gentile 

church and help those 
who were preaching the 
gospel. They chose Bar- 
nabas, the kind-hearted 
man who had befriended 
Saul when all the other 
disciples were afraid of 
him. This Barnabas they 
sent to visit Antioch. 

After many days he 
came to the Syrian city 
and met the believers 
there. And when he saw 
h o w wonderfully God 
had saved that large com- 
pany of heathen Gentiles 
who came to believe in Jesus, he was glad. Hie urged them to cling to 
this new faith, even though they might have to suffer persecution. And 
as he preached to them, others, who came to listen to this stranger 
from Jerusalem, became interested and finally trusted in Jesus as 
their Savior, too. 

When Barnabas saw that the Gentile church was growing into a 
vast company of people, he longed to have more helpers. Then he 
remembered the young man named Saul whom he had befriended at 
Jerusalem. He knew that Saul was called of God to preach to the 
Gentiles, and that he had gone from Jerusalem to his home city. That 
city, called Tarsus, was not far from Antioch, so Barnabas decided to 
hunt for Saul and ask him to come to Antioch to preach there to the 
Gentiles. 

Saul was glad to see Barnabas again, and he consented to go with 
him to Antioch. For a whole year they lived together in this Gen- 
tile city, preaching the gospel and encouraging those who believed in 
Jesus. 

Then certain men came from Jerusalem to visit this church. These 
visitors were men whom God caused to understand what would happen 



OLD WALL OF ANTIOCH, THE CITY WHERE 
DISCIPLES WERE NAMED “CHRISTIANS” 


THE FIRST MISSIONARIES IN THE EARLY CHURCH 563 


in the future. They told the church at Antioch that a famine was com- 
ing in all the lands, when food would be scarce and many would sutler 
because they had nothing to eat. Not long afterwards this came to 
pass, and the church in Antioch heard that their fellow believers in 
Judea were in need. They planned to send help to them. Each man 
gave an offering, as much as he could spare, and the whole amount' was 
put together. Then the church chose Barnabas and Saul to carry this 
offering to the saints at Jerusalem. 

Mary, the widowed mother of John Mark, at whose home the mid- 
night prayer-meeting was held, was a relative of Barnabas, and these 
visitors from Antioch were doubtless entertained in her home. When 
their errand was finished and they made ready to return again to 
Antioch, they invited John Mark to go with them. And because this 
young man wished to work for the Lord he gladly hade his friends 
good-by and joined his uncle, Barnabas, and Saul. In later years this 
young man became very useful as a helper to those who preached the 
gospel in heathen lands. And finally he Wrote the “-Gospel According 
to Saint Mark.” 


STORY 14 

THE FIRST MISSIONARIES IN THE EARLY CHURCH 

Acts 13:1-14:7 

The church in Antioch grew in numbers until there were many 
who were called Christians in that city. And God caused the teachers 
in the church to understand that the time had come when Barnabas and 
Saul (who from the time of this journey was called Paul, by which 
name we shall hereafter know him) should begin the great work of 
preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, not in cities where other dis- 
ciples lived, but in far-away countries where few people understood 
about the true God. And so it was that these twjo men, taking with 
them John Mark, the young disciple from Jerusalem, started on their 
first missionary journey. 

The Island of Cyprus, lying in the Great Sea, was the first stop- 
ping-place of these missionaries. Here they visited two cities, called 
Salamis and Paphos, and preached Christ. While they were preaching 
in the latter city the Roman governor who lived there sent for them. 
This governor, Sergius: Paulus by name, desired to hear the word of 
God and listened carefully while the missionaries talked to him. He 
was almost ready to believe that Jesus is indeed the Christ, when a 


564 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


wicked man began to talk to him and warn him against the missionaries. 

Just as the Holy Spirit gave wisdom to Peter, causing him to know 
when Ananias and Sapphira were trying to deceive him, so now the 
Holy Spirit caused Paul to know the evil purpose of this wicked man. 
And with great boldness Paul spoke to him, saying, 4 4 Child of the evil 
one, and enemy of all righteousness, wlill you never cease trying to 
oppose the right way of the Lord! Because of your wickedness the 
hand of God is laid upon you now and you shall be made blind for a 
certain time, not seeing the light of day.” 

As soon as Paul had spoken the man became blind, so that he 
could not see which way to go, and he called for some one to lead him 
by the hand. When the governor, Sergius Paulus, saw what had hap- 
pened he was astonished, and at once he believed in the power of God 
and in the name of Jesus, his Son. 

After the Roman governor believed in Christ, the missionaries 
went on their way, taking ship for the city of Perga, in the country 
of Asia Minor. Here John Mark left them and returned to his home 
in Jerusalem, while Barnabas and Paul journeyed on to another city 
called Antioch. 

In this Antioch they found a Jewish synagog, so they came on the 
Sabbath-day to talk with the Jews who worshiped there. The rulers 
of the synagog, seeing they were strangers, invited them to speak, and 
Paul began to tell them the gospel story. When he had finished, the 
Jews left the synagog, and many of them w*ere not pleased with his 
words. But somle Gentiles had been listening, and they came to the 
missionaries and urged them to continue preaching the good news of 
salvation from sin. Some Jews also were friendly, and they, with these 
Gentiles, followed B'amabas and Paul, desiring to hear more about the 
gospel. 

On the next Sabbath-day a great company of both Jews and Gen- 
tiles met to hear the missionaries tell of Jesus. But the Jewish leaders 
were filled with thoughts of envy when they saw how eager the Gen- 
tiles were to listen to these men, and they began to speak unkindly 
about the missionaries, trying to turn the people away from them. 
Paul and Barnabas knew of their evil thoughts, and they said, 4 4 It was 
necessary that the word of God should have been spoken first to you; 
but we see that you will not believe, fori you do not count yourselves 
fit to receive everlasting life through Jesus. Now we will turn from 
you and preach to the Gentiles, who are eager to hear our message. 
For God has commanded us to bear the light of salvation to the Gen- 
tiles, even in the farthest places in the world.” 


HOW IDOL- WORSHIPERS TREATED PAUL 


565 


When the Gentiles heard these words they were glad, and many 
of them afterwards became believers in Jesus. So a church was raised 
up in this Antioch, too, and the missionaries taught the believers more 
about God’s words. 

But the Jews were not content to let these teacher^ worship in 
peace with the Gentile 1 believers. They stirred up a bitter feeling in 
the hearts of the city rulers toward Barnabas and Paul, and started 
persecuting them. Then they commanded them to leave the city, call- 
ing them trouble-makers and other unkind names. But the mission- 
aries knew they were doing only what was right and pleasing to God, 
so they went on their way joyfully; for the Holy Spirit comforted 
them when they were being persecuted. 

Their next stopping-place was in the city of Iconium. Here a 
great company of both Jews and Gentiles believed in Jesus, and were 
saved. For a long time the missionaries stayed here preaching the 
gospel. 

But there were enemies in this city also. Some Jews who did not 
believe talked to their Gentile neighbors and told them untruthful 
things about the missionaries. These false stories caused the Gentiles 
to dislike Barnabas and Paul, and the feeling of dislike grew until 
finally the enemies planned to stone the missionaries just as Stephen 
had been stoned at Jerusalem. 

Barnabas and Paul heard about the wicked purpose of their per- 
secutors, and they fled from the city, going to another town, called 
Lystra, to preach the gospel there also. 


STORY 15 

HOW IDOL-WORSHIPERS IN LYSTRA TREATED 
BARNABAS AND PAUL 

Acts 14:8-28 

The people of Lystra were idol-worshipers. Never before had 
they heard the story of the gospel, and many of them did not know 
about the true God of all the earth. 

When Barnabas ajndi Paul began to preach the gospel in the 
streets, their words sounded strange to these heathen people. They 
paid little heed to the preaching until after they had seen the wonder- 
ful miracle which Paul performed upon a cripple. A helpless cripple 
sat near by listening intently while Paul was preaching about Jesus, 


566 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


and when Panl noticed him he knew the poor man had faith to be 
healed. He looked on the man and cried out with a loud voice, “Stand 
upon your feet!” With a leap the cripple rose to his feet and 
began to walk about like a well person. And the people were amazed, 
for they had never seen such a miracle before. How they crowded 
round to look in wonder upon the missionaries, and they talked rapidly 
in their own language, saying, 4 ‘ The gods have come down to us in the 
form of men!” Paul and Barnabas could not understand what they 
were saying, for they used the speech of their own country instead of 
the Greek language which Paul had been using while he preached to 
them. 

Excitement seemed to increase all the while, and presently Paul 
and Barnabas saw the men leading oxen to sacrifice, and bringing 
wreaths of flowers with which to decorate their visitors. Then the mis- 
sionaries knew these heathen people had supposed they were gods come 
down to earth, and were preparing to offer sacrifices to them. 

The Greeks worshiped two gods called Jupiter and Mercury, and 
the people in Lystra worshiped those gods, too. Now, they believed 
that Barnabas was Jupiter, and that Paul was Mercurius. And they 
called their priests from the temple of the gods to come and offer sac- 
rifices to these men. 

A feeling of horror came over Barnabas and Paul when they knew 
this. They rushed among the crowded throng and tore their clothes, 
crying out, “Sirs, why are you doing this? We also are men, like you 
are, and we have come to preach that you should turn away from idols 
to serve the living God, who made the heavens, the earth, and all 
things. It is this living God we preach, who gives us rain from heaven, 
and who causes our food to grow in the fields.” 

At first the people would not listen to Paul and Barnabas, but 
finally they were persuaded to cease from their purpose. Although 
they understood the Greek language, they did not understand about 
the true God, for their minds were filled with thoughts of idol-wor- 
ship* Only a few who lived in that city received the gospel gladly and 
were saved. 

When the missionaries had been in Lystra for some time, the wicked 
Jews in Iconium heard that they were preaching about Christ to the 
idol-worshipers in this city. So they sent men to Lystra to tell untrue 
things about the missionaries. Many of the people believed these false 
words and caught Paul and threw stones at him until he fell dowh as 
if he were* dead. They seized his bleeding body and dragged it out- 
side their city, then returned to their homes again. 


A QUESTION, AND HOW IT WAS ANSWERED 


567 


But the believers stood about Paul’s body, weeping. Presently 
they saw it move, and they knew their dear friend was not really dead. 
Soon Paul rose up and walked with them back to the city. On the next 
day he and Barnabas went away to another place, called Derbe, and 
here they preached the gospel just as courageously as before Paul 
had been stoned. 

After spending some time in Derbe, and seeing many people turn 
to the Lord, the missionaries bade them good-by and started on their 
homeward journey. As they went they visited the same places where 
they had been before, and spoke encouraging words to those who be- 
lieved in Jesus. And finally they came back to Antioch, in Syria*, the 
place from which they had started oni this missionary journey. Here 
they met with the church and told how! God had blessed his word as 
they preached to the Gentiles in far-away cities. They told about the 
believers in those cities who were worshiping the true God and honor- 
ing Jesus as the Son of God. And the disciples in Antioch rejoiced 
to hear these good tidings. 


STORY 16 

A PUZZLING QUESTION, AND HOW IT WAS ANSWERED 

Acts 15 : 1-34 

After Paul and Barnabas had returned from their missionary trip, 
some visitors came to the church at Antioch from Jerusalem. These 
men were Jews, and they had never yet understood how Gentiles can 
be saved the same as Jews, without obeying the commands that Moses 
had given to the Israelites. 

We remember that the law which God gave Moses to write in a 
book was intended for the Israelites, or Jews, only. The Gentiles had 
never kept that law, and many of them knew nothing about its teach- 
ings. This law had no power to save the people who obeyed it; the 
purpose of it was to separate people who worshiped God from those 
who worshiped idols. Without the law the Jews would have been as 
ignorant of the true God as were the Gentiles, while with it they could 
prepare themselves to receive the Messiah, whom God had promised 
to send into the World, for many passages in it spoke of him. 

These visitors from Jerusalem looked unkindly upon the Gentile 
believers and said, 4 4 Except you keep the law of Moses just as we do 
you can not be saved.” 

Paul and Barnabas had been among many Gentile Christians, and 


568 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK: 


they had seen how these people received the Holy Spirit the same as 
did the Jews though they knew little or nothing about Moses ’ law. So 
these missionaries told the men from Jerusalem that they were mis- 
taken, for Gentiles could be saved without keeping the law. 

This question was a serious one with every person who had been a 
strict Jew. A vision on the housetop was necessary in order to show 
Peter that Gentiles might be saved as well as Jews. And there were 
many other strict Jews who had seen no housetop visions. These were 
the Jews who troubled the Gentile believers. 

Finally it was decided by the church in Antioch that Paul and Bar- 
nabas should go, with certain other teachers, to visit the apostles in 
Jerusalem and talk with them about this matter. So the company 
started out, and as they went they visited other churches along the 
way and told about the success of the first missionary journey in far- 
off lands. And everywhere the disciples rejoiced to hear how God had 
blessed the Gentiles who believed in him. 

In Jerusalem the brethren from Antioch were received kindly by 
the apostles, and the other teachers in the church. And soon they told 
why they had come. 

When their errand was made known, some of the teachers who, 
like Paul, had been strict Pharisees before they believed in Jesus, rose 
to talk. These men had not, like Paul, seen that believers in the true 
God and in his Son, Jesus, no longer needed to keep the law of Moses. 
They did not understand Jesus * teaching, that true religion shows it- 
self in a pure life, and that people who know nothing about Moses’ 
law can live pure and holy without keeping that law as did the Jews. 

Peter listened with the other apostles and with the visitors from 
Antioch to the speech of these Pharisees who believed in Jesus. When 
they had finished, others talked, and finally Peter told about his experi- 
ence at Cornelius’ home, in Caesarea,, where many Gentiles received the 
gospel and were baptized. Then Barnabas and Paul told of their 
long journey in Gentile countries, where many turned from idol-wor- 
ship to believe in the true God and in his Son, Jesus. 

James, the brother of Jesus, stood up as the last speaker, and 
every one listened quietly, for they knew he had received wisdom from 
God to speak to them. He urged them to' cease troubling the Gentile 
Christians about the keeping of Moses’ law. He said, however, that 
they might write a letter to the Gentile believers, telling them to be 
careful not to do certain things which they had always done while they 
were worshiping idols. 

James’ advice pleased all the assembly, and the apostles and teach- 


A CALL FOR HELP FROM' A FAR-OFF LAND 


569 


ers in the church at Jerusalem decided to Write such a letter and send 
it by Paul and Barnabas to the Gentile Christians in Antioch. This 
they did, and they also sent two of their own preachers, men named 
Judas and Silas, with the missionaries. 

A large audience of eager-faced people greeted the company when 
it arrived from Jerusalem. And they listened carefully to the reading 
of the letter that the apostles had written and sent by these men. When 
they heard that they would not be demanded to live like the Jews in 
order to please God, they rejoiced greatly. And they continued to 
worship God with pure hearts, obeying the teachings of the gospel. 

Judas and Silas, the men who came with Barnabas and Paul, spoke 
encouraging words to the believers, and urged them to cling to their 
ipaith in Jesus. Then, after certain days, Judas bade them good-by and 
returned again to Jerusalem. But Silas chose to remain with the 
church in Antioch. 


STORY 17 

A CALL FOR HELP FROM A FAR-OFF LAND 

Acts 15:36-16:15 

Ofie day Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go again to visit the 
brethren in the Gentile countries.” Barnabas was willing, so they 
arranged to start at once. 

Now, John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, had come to Antioch 
again, and wished to go with) them on this second journey. He had 
started with them on their first journey but had turned back, so Paul 
did not care to take him this time. Barnabas, however, thought it 
Would be well to take the young man, even though he had turned back 
the first time. So he took Mark for his companion, and Paul chose Silas, 
the preacher from Jerusalem, to go with him. 

Barnabas and Mark went to the Island of Cyprus, while Paul and 
Silas went farther on, to the churches in Asia Minor. When they 
came to Lystra, the town where Paul had been stoned, they found a 
young man named Timothy whose father was a Gentile though his 
mother was a Jew. This young man was an earnest believer in Jesus, 
and Paul was pleased with him. 

Timothy joined Paul and Silas, going from Lystra to other cities 
where the gospel had been preached. And he continued with Paul for 
a long time, loving him as a father. Years afterward, when Paul was 


570 


BIBHE-STORY BOOK 


shut up in prison lie wrote beautiful letters to Timothy, showing how 
great was his love for this faithful young man. 

The missionaries did not stop at every place to preach, because 
the time had not yet come when the people were ready to receive the 
gospel. The Holy Spirit caused the missionaries to understand this, 
and they passed on to other places. 

Finally they came to Troas, a city that was built on the seaeoast 
where ships camie from countries even farther away from Jerusalem. 
Those countries had never been visited by any one who knew the gos- 
pel. One night while the missionaries were in Troas, Paul had a vision. 
He saw in his dream a man standing on the shore of the country across 
the water from Troas and calling. He wias looking earnestly at Paul. , 
and crying, 4 4 Come over to my country, and help us ! ” 

Paul knew from the appearance of this man that he belonged to 
the country of Macedonia, When he awoke from his dream he told his 
companions about the vision, and they believed, as he did, that God 
wanted them to cross over to Macedonia and preach the gospel there. 
So they bought passage on the first ship that sailed from Troas to 
Macedonia, intending to preach the gospel to the heathen people who 
lived there. 

Now another disciple, a doctor named Luke, joined PauPs com- 
pany, and sailed with him to Macedonia. This Luke afterwards wrote 
the 4 4 Gospel According to Saint Luke,” and also the 4 4 Acts of the Apos- 
tles,” both of which are found in the New Testament. 

The first city of Macedonia which they visited was Philippi. Here 
they did not try to find the man whom Paul saw in his dream, calling 
for help. They knew the vision was meant to teach that many people 
were needing to know* about Jesus, and they believed God had sent 
them to preach to all who would listen. 

In this city there were only a few Jews. They had no synagog, 
but the missionaries found a place outside the city where people met 
together by the riverside on Sabbath-days to pray. So on the first Sab- 
bath they went down to the riverside. 

Only a few people were there and they were women. But Paul 
and his companions sat down and taught them more about the true 
God. Paul told them about the great gift that God had sent to men in 
his Son, Jesus. And while he talked, one woman, named Lydia, be- 
lieved his words about Jesus and knew that her sins Were forgiven. 
Then she was baptized in the name of Jesus. Her household also lis- 
tened to the gospel and received it gladly. 

Lydia, the first Christian convert in this far country, now invited 


THE PRA YEIR-ME ETIN G IN PRISON 


571 


Paul and his companions to lodge in her house. She was a rich woman 
and she showed her gratitude to the missionaries by caring for them 
while they stayed in her home city. 


STORY 18 

THE PRAYER-MEETING IN PRISON, AND ITS HAPPY ENDING 

Acts 16 : 16-40 

One day a mob of angry people led two men down the streets of 
Philippi to the city prison. These men were wounded and bleeding 
from the severe beating they had just received in the public square. 
As they were being half dragged along by the leaders of the mob, every 
step caused them greater suffering. Finally they reached the prison, 
and the jailer, seeing the crowd, quickly unlocked the door and thrust 
the two wounded men inside. 

These two men were Paul and Silas, the Christian missionaries 
to Philippi. They had done nothing wrong, but because they had done 
right they were being punished by these heathen people. And this is 
how it happened: 

As Paul and Silas and their other companions walked through the 
streets on their way to the riverside to pray, a slave-girl followed them 
one day, calling to every passer-by, “ These men are servants of the 
Most High God, and they have come to show us the way of salvation ! ’ ’ 
And every day after that time she watched for the missionaries to 
pass that she might follow behind and cry out to others in this manner. 

This slave-girl had an evil spirit dwelling in her, which caused her 
to know that the missionaries were true men of God. Satan and all 
his evil spirits know T every one who loves and worships God. They 
know the power of God is greater than theirs, but they try to bring 
trouble upon the people who serve God. This slave-girl was controlled 
by the evil spirit, which caused her to tell people what would happen 
in the future. Many believed in her, and because of this they would 
often come to ask her questions. Ahd always' her masters would de- 
mand them to give money before she answered their questions. In this 
way the men who owned her for a slave became very rich. 

Paul felt sorry for this poor slave-girl. One day while she was 
following him and his companions he turned about and said to the 
evil spirit that was in her, “I command you in the name of Jesus 


572 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Christ to come out of this girl.” Immediately the evil spirit obeyed, 
and the girl was set free from his awful power. But no longer could 
she tell about future happenings; for without the evil spirit she could 
not do this. 

The masters of the slave-girl wlere angered when they found out 
that their hopes for further gain from her fortune-telling were gone. 
They asked what had taken place, and when they heard what Paul 
had done they seized him and Silas and dragged them before the rulers 
of the city, saying, 4 4 These m^en, being Jews, are causing great trouble 
in our city by teaching strange customs which we Romans can not 
receive . 7 7 

The people of Philippi objected to the teaching of such new reli- 
gions in their city. When they heard the complaints made against 
Paul and Silas, the rulers at once commanded that these trouble-makers 
should be cruelly beaten and imprisoned. And so it was that the mis- 
sionaries were beaten until the blood flowed freely down their wounded 
bodies, and in this condition they were dragged off to prison. 

Before the mob departed the leaders commanded the jailer to 
keep the prisoners safely, and he, supposing Paul and Silas must be 
dangerous men, cast them into an inner room and fastened them se- 
curely by putting their feet in stocks. Here he left them alone in the 
dark, ill-smelling room, to sutler from their wounds. 

But Paul and Silas were not like other prisoners. They did not 
complain because they were treated so* cruelly. They did not murmur 
because they had been wrongfully punished. As the hours passed by 
they talked to each other about God, and about his great love. Finally 
they began to pray, and far into the night their voices could be heard 
in the outer prison, singing songs of praise to the great God who loved 
them so much. . 

The other prisoners could not sleep. They had seen these two men 
dragged into their prison that day. They had seen their bleeding backs 
and suffering faces. Now they could not understand why these pris- 
oners could be so happy, and they listened to the songs of praise and 
to the prayers of Paul and Silas. 

At midnight suddenly the foundations of the prison began to shake 
in a great earthquake, anc^ all the tightly locked doors of the prison 
swung open. Even the stocks which held the feet of Paul and Silas 
were unfastened. The jailer heard the great noise when the earth- 
quake shook the prison, and he sprang out of bed. Seeing the doors 
flung open, he supposed the prisoners had all escaped. He knew the 
rulers would kill him if he allowed one man to escape from the prison. 


THE PEAYER-MEEiTING IN PRISON 


573 


Now lie believed all had gone, and quickly drew his sword to kill him- 
self rather than have the wicked rulers torture him to death. 



THE JAILER WITH PAUL AND SILAS 
AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE 


But Paul and Silas saw what the jailer was about to do, and Paul 
cried out through the darkness, “Do not harm yourself! We are all 
here!” Then the jailer called for a candle, and rushed into the prison. 
There he saw all the prisoners, with Paul and Silas among them. 


574 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Now the jailer was sure these men were not dangerous. He be- 
lieved they w^ere good men, who really^ taught the wiay of the true God, 
just as the slave-girl had cried. So he ran to them, tremblingly, and 
fell down at their feet, crying, 4 ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 
And there in the prison Paul talked to the jailer and the others who 
stood by, telling them about Jesus Christ, the Savior of all men. And 
he said, “If you will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be 
saved. ’ 7 

This glad news brought joy toi the jailer’s heart, and he believed 
the message of salvation. That very night he was saved, and all the 
others in his household also turned to God. Now they took Paul and 
Silas into the house and washed their wounds, and bound them with 
clean cloths. Then they gave these two prisoners food, and entertained 
them as guests instead of fearing them as dangerous men. And before 
it was day the jailer and his household were baptized in! the name of 
Jesus by these Christian missionaries. 

When the rulers heard what had happened at the prison that night 
they sent word for Paul and Silas to be set free. But Paul answered, 
“The rulers beat us publicly, although we were 1 Romans and had not 
been condemned by the law"; now they must come themselves to tell us 
that we may go free.” These words frightened the rulers. They did 
not know that Paul and Silas were Romans, and the law forbade any 
ruler to punish a Roman in this manner. They came quickly to the 
jailer’s house and begged Paul and Silas to leave the city. 

Before going away from Philippi, the missionaries returned to 
Lydia’s house, to speak words of comfort to the other Christians; then 
they bade them good-by and went to another place. Years afterward 
Paul wrote a letter to the church in Philippi, and that letter we have 
in our Bibles today, called the “Epistle of Paul to the Philippians. ” 


STORY 19 

HOW THE GOSPEL WAS FIRST PREACHED IN OTHER CITIES 
OF MACEDONIA 

Acts 17:1-15 

Paul and Silas were not discouraged when they left Philippi. They 
rejoiced because they had been chosen by the Lord to carry the glad 
news of salvation to heathen people. They hurried on to other towns 
and cities to tell about Jesus. 


THE GOSPEL IN OTHER CITIES OF MACEDONIA 575 


In a large city called Thessalonica, they found a synagog of the 
Jews, for many Jews lived in that place. Here they went each Sab- 
bath-day to teach the people the gospel story. And some of the Jews 
who listened were convinced by Paul’s preaching that Jesus is really 
the Savior. Also many Greeks, both men and women, received the 
gospel gladly. 

But the Jews who refused to believe in Jesus were jealous of the 
missionaries, because many people listened to their teaching. They 
decided to get rid of Paul and Silas, sq they gathered a company of 
rough mien and made great disturbance in the city. Then they called 
at the home of one believer, named Jason, and searched his house try- 
ing to find the missionaries. But Paul and Silas were not there. Be- 
cause they could not find these men they dragged Jason before the 
rulers of the city and cried out, “ These men who have turned the world 
upside down have come to our city, and Jason has received them into 
his house. They are teaching things contrary to the law of the Romans, 
saying that another is king, even one called Jesus.” 

The rulers were troubled by these words, but they did not punish 
Jason severely. However, the believers who lived in that city feared 
that greater troubles might happen soon if Paul and Silas remained, 
so they sent them away by night to another place, called Berea. 

In this second city the missionaries found another Jewish synagog, 
so they met with the Jew!s on the Sabbath-days to tell them about the 
Savior, who had come just as the prophets had foretold he should. 
These Jews listened closely to the words of Paul and Silas. They 
looked into the books of the prophets to see whether the missionaries 
had spoken truthfully. And many of them believed, for they read the 
words that the prophets had written long years before, concerning Je- 
sus, the Messiah. Many Greeks also believed, and a large congrega- 
tion of believers met to hear the gospel story. 

By and by the wicked Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul and 
Silas were preaching in Berea. They sent at once to make trouble 
there. But the believers there cared for the missionaries, hiding them 
from the angry men who sought their lives. Then they sent Paul away 
at once to another city, but Silas and Timothy remained to encourage 
the Christians in that church. 

From Berea, Paul left the country of Macedonia, and went into 
Greece. Here he entered a large city called Athens, and waited for 
the coming of Silas and Timothy. 


576 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


STORY 20 

PAUL TELLS THE WISE MEN OF GREECE ABOUT THE 
UNKNOWN GOD 

Acts 17:16-18:23 

While Paul waited in Athens for his companions, Silas and 
Timothy, he Walked about the streets and saw many idols standing here 
and there. He saw that the people of this city worshiped many differ- 
ent gods. They had even built an altar to the Unknown Gfod. 

There were Jews in this city also, and Paul visited their synagog 
to speak to them about Christ. In the crowded streets he met some 
thoughtful, earnest men to whom he spoke daily about the gospel. 
Others gathered round, curious to hear the conversation. When they 
heard Paul speaking about Jesus and about the resurrection from the 

dead they be- 
lieved he was 
bringing tidings 
to their city of 
a strange god 
from some other 
land. 

In this city 
was a place 
called Mars Hill. 
Here important 
matters were 
discussed, and 
the wisest men 
of Greece met 
on this hill. They 
brought Paul 
here and asked 
him to tell about 
this new doc- 
trine of which he spoke so earnestly on the streets. Then Paul rose up 
before all the wise men and said: “I saw an altar which you have built 
to the Unknown God. Of this God I wish to tell you now, for it is he 
who has made the world and all things in it. He is Lord of heaven 
and earth, and does not dwell in temples that are made by men. He 




PAUL TELLS ABOUT, THE, UNKNOWN GOD 


577 


gives life and breath to all creatures, and has made the people of every 
nation. This God whom I declarq to you is not far from every one 
of us, and he desires that people of every nation should seek to know 
him. They should not try to make images to represent him, for he is 
not like gold, or silver, or stone, fashioned as the idols your own hands 
have made. The time was when you did not know about this God ; but 
now he commands you to repent of your sins, for the day will come 
when he will call all men into judgment.” 

Paul then spoke to them about Jesus, whom God had raised from 
the dead to be the Savior. But when the wise men of Athens heard 
these wlords some laughed in scorn, while others shook their heads in 
doubt, saying, “Come again some other day to tell us more about this 
strange thing.” They did not believe that the dead shall rise again. 
So Paul left Mars Hill and went again into the city. 

Some who had listened to his sermon followed him and asked to 
know more about Christ. One of them who followed was a chief man 
of the city. He afterwards believed and was saved. A few others 
also turned from their idols and believed in the true God and in his 
Son, Jesus Christ. 

From Athens, Paul went to> another city of Greece, called Corinth. 
Here he found a man and his wife who were Jews and who, too, were 
strangers in the city. Because they were tent-makers by occupation, 
and Paul also knew 1 how to make tents, he worked with them to earn 
his living, and on the Sabbath-days he preached in the synagog of the 
city. Among the Jews who believed his preaching were this man and 
his wife, Aquila and Priscilla. 

Finally Silas and Timothy came from Philippi to Corinth, and 
Paul rejoiced to see them once more. From that time he began to speak 
more boldly concerning Christ, and many of the Jews opposed him. 
Then he left them, and turned to preach to the Gentiles. 

The chief ruler of the synagog and his household believed the 
teachings of Paul, and many others, too, received his words with glad- 
ness. These believers were baptized in the name of Jesus. Because 
the Jews who worshiped in the synagog would not receive the gospel, 
these believers worshiped in a house near by which belonged to a be- 
liever named Justus. 

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord spoke to him in a 
dream, saying, “Do not be afraid, but speak boldly, for I am with you 
and no man shall hurt you here. I have many people in this city who 
will believe on me when they hear your words. ’ * After this vision Paul 
stayed in Corinth a long time, faithfully preaching the gospel to all 


578 BIBLE-STORY BOOK 

who would listen. And many believers were added to the church in 
this city. 

When Paul had been there many months, some wicked Jews who 
hated the believers planned to make trouble for them. They caught 
Paul and took him before the ruler of the city, accusing him of wrong- 
doing. But the ruler paid no heed to their words, and Paul was set at 
liberty. After this the Greeks caught one of the Jews, a ruler of a 
synagog, and beat him cruelly; but the Greek ruler did not help the Jew. 

Paul decided to return again to Jerusalem. Taking with him 
Aquila. and Priscilla, he sailed from Greece to Asia Minor. Here he 
left his friends in the city of Eiphesus and continued his journey to 
Jerusalem, to attend the Feast of the Passover. And from Jerusalem 
he went once more to visit the saints in Antioch. 


STORY 21 

HOW A GREAT HEATHEN CITY RECEIVED THE GOSPEL 

Acts 18:24-19:20 

Ephesus was a large city in Asia Minor, not far from the sea. In 
this city were many people who worshiped an idol, or goddess, called 
Diana. A great temple had been built in this city for the worship of 
this goddess, and many heathen people in other parts of the world 
had sent money to help build it. When the temple was finished it was 
called one of the seven wonders of the world, because of its rare beauty. 

Not every one who lived in Ephesus worshiped the goddess Diana. 
Some Jews lived there, and they had built a synagog. Here they met 
on Sabbath-days to study the Old Testament scriptures. 

One day a man came to Ephesus from Alexandria, a city of Egypt. 
This man, whose name was Apollos, was a Jew. He had heard about 
the preaching of John the Baptist; and believing that John was a 
prophet sent from God, he taught the Jews in Ephesus John’s words. 
And some of these Jews also believed, so he baptized them with the 
baptism of John, to show they had repented of their sins. But neither 
Apollos nor these other Jewis had ever known Jesus. 

Aquila and Priscilla, the friends of Paul who stopped in Ephesus 
when he journeyed on to Jerusalem, heard Apollos preach. They saw 
how earnestly he taught the people and they believed he would become 
a great preacher of the gospel if only he knew all about Christ. So 
they invited him to their home and told him more fully about Jesus, 


HOW A HEATHEN CITY RECEIVED THE GOSPEL 579 


And Apollos believed their words. Then he bade his new friends good- 
by and sailed to Corinth, where he found the Christians who had be- 
lieved through the teachings of Paul. 

Shortly after Apollos went away from Eiphesus, Paul arrived on 
his third missionary journey to heathen lands. He met the Jews who 
had believed the teachings of John the Baptist, and he preached more 
about Christ to them. They believed Paul, and were also baptized in 
the name of Jesus. Afterwards Paul told them about the Holy Spirit 
whom God sent to believers, and when Paul laid his hands on these 
men and prayed, they, too, received the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

For three months Paul taught in the synagog at Ephesus, proving 
by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. But many who heard him 
were unwilling to believe in Jesus. They spoke unkindly about Paul 
and about the Christ whom he preached. Then Paul took his believing 
friends and departed from the synagog, going to a school near by. In 
this school he taught every day for two years, until his teaching was 
known all through the city and the country around. And many believed 
in Jesus and were baptized. 

While Paul was teaching in this city he worked special miracles 
in the name of Jesus. He healed many who were sick, and cast out evil 
spirits from many who were possessed of them. When he could not 
visit each needy one who wished to be healed, their friends would carry 
handkerchiefs or aprons from him and lay these upon the bodies of the 
afflicted, and the sicknesses and evil spirits would depart. 

Many people were filled with wonder when they saw the great 
power of God as shown by this man. But there were seven wicked 
Jews who were brothers. These brothers used to cast out demons by 
spells and charms. They had seen Paul cast out evil spirits in Jesus’ 
name, and not knowing the power of God that was in Paul, they sup- 
posed they could cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus just as Paul 
did. So when they found a man in whom an evil spirit dwelt they said 
to the evil spirit, “We command you to come out, in the name of Jesus 
whom Paul preaches.” Biut the evil spirit answered, “Jesus’ I know, 
and Paul I know, but who are you?” Then the spirit caused the man 
in whom he dwelt to leap on these seven wicked brothers and beat them 
terribly, until they fled from the house in shame. 

Other people soon heard what had happened to these brothers, 
and they feared the gre.at power of this mighty Jesus. They praised 
God by speaking respectfully and reverently of the name of Jesus. 
And many who believed were also afraid when they saw what had hap- 
pened to these seven wicked Jews. Before Paul had preached to them 


580 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


they were superstitious, believing in signs and in charms. Many had 
practised works of magic, trying to perform great things by these 
works; but now they confessed their wrong-doing and forsook those 
evil practises. 

Books in those days were very rare and expensive. A single book 
would cost a, sum of money that poor people could not afford. But 
many people in Ephesus had books that taught how to work wonders 
by magic. When they saw the great power of God they no longer 
cared for these books, and they believed they should not keep them. 
So they brought them] together in the street and built a huge bonfire 
with them, even though the books had cost much money. A large crowd 
gathered round to watch these expensive books burn to ashes. They 
knew the people who owned these books now believed in Jesus, and 
would no longer try to practise the wicked works which magic books 
teach. 


STORY 22 

THE UPROAR A COVETOUS MAN CAUSED IN A GREAT CITY 

Acts 19:21-20:4 

Not all people in Ephesus believed in Jesus when they heard Paul’s 
preaching and when they saw the miracles he performed in Jesus’ 
name. Many still went to the great temple of Diana to worship the 
image of that heathen goddess, which they believed had fallen from 
the sky. 

Those who could not go to the temple of Diana every day wished 
to have an image of the idol in their homes. And heathen worshipers 
who came from other lands wished also to carry away with them a like- 
ness of the huge idol which stood in the beautiful temple at Ephesus. 
Not because this idol was pretty, for Diana, was not at all pleasing to 
look upon, but because they worshiped her they wished to have her 
likeness in their homes. 

There were men in that city who knew how to make small idols 
like Diana with gold or silver. These men were called silversmiths, 
and they grew rich selling idols to those who wished to buy. Oinel of 
these silversmiths was named Demetrius. When he heard about the 
preaching of Paul and about the great miracles Paul performed in the 
name of Jesus, he became uneasy. Every day he listened to hear more 
news about this new teaching. And every day he grew more restless ; 


THE UPROAR A COVETOUS MAN CAUSED 


581 


for he feared that soon all the worshipers of Diana would begin to 
worship Jesus. 

Demetrius was not so greatly disturbed in his mind because he 
loved the goddess Diana— not that! But he loved the money he re- 
ceived from those who bought images of the goddess. He feared that 
soon the people would no longer care to buy the images he made, and 
then he would receive no more money from them. He could not make 
images of Jesus to sell, for Paul taught that his God was not to be wor- 
shiped as an idol, of silver and gold, or other material. 

After Demetrius heard that many people had burned their ex- 



RUINS OF AN ANCIENT IDOL-TEMPLE 


pensive magic-hooks because they believed in the Jesus whom Paul 
taught, he became much excited. Calling together his friends who also 
were silversmiths, he told them about his fears. He warned them about 
the danger their work was in by Paul’s preaching. 4 4 Not only here in 
our city,” said Demetrius, “but in almost all Asia Minor this Paul 
has been turning away people from the worship of the goddess, by 
declaring they are no gods which are made with hands. Not only is 
our work in danger of falling to nothingness,” he continued, “but the 
beautiful temple of our goddess will soon be no longer visited and 
admired by people from other lands.” 


582 


BIBLE- STORY BOOK 


Now all the silversmiths became excited, and they began to cry 
out, 1 ‘ Great is Diana of the Ephesians ! ’ ’ Through the streets they 
ran, crying these Words, and other people followed. Soon the whole 
city was stirred by the excitement, and some caught two of Paul’s 
companions and dragged them into the theater. Paul heard what had 
happened, and he wished to go to the rescue of these faithful compan- 
ions, but his friends refused to let him do this. They feared the peo- 
ple might tear him in pieces if they found him. 

For two hours the excitement raged; many people did not even 



A THEATER OP PAUL’S TIME 


know what it was all about, and yet they joined in the cry, “ Great is 
Diana of the Ephesians !” 

Finally the clerk of the city stepped up before the people and 
motioned for them to be quiet. He then reproved them for their fool- 
ish conduct, and told them they were in danger of being punished for 
the uproar they had made. He said that Demetrius and his fellow 
workmen should not use this means to bring charges against Paul and 
his friends, for they should handle such matters according to the law 
of the land. Concerning Paul ’s two companions who had been dragged 
before the mob, he said, “ These two men have not robbed churches, 



THE FAITHFUL MISSIONARY AND HIS FAREWELL 583 


nor spoken evil of our goddess.’ ’ He then dismissed the assembly, 
and sent them all home. 

Paul had been intending to leave Ephesus even before the uproar 
was made, as he wished to visit the churches in Macedonia and Greece 
and then return again to Jerusalem. Now he bade the Christians 
good-by and sailed for Macedonia. Here he visited the saints in 
Philippi, where he and Silas had been treated so shamefully and im- 
prisoned, and wLere God had caused an earthquake to open the prison 
doors and loosen their bands, setting them free. No doubt the jailer 
and his household were glad to see this brave preacher of Jesus Christ 
once more. 

Passing through Thessalonica and Berea, where he had preached 
the gospel before, he went on to Greece. For three months he stayed 
with the Christians in this country, then he prepared to> return for the 
last time to Jerusalem. Before starting he learned that his enemies, 
the Jews, were planning to catch him and take his life, so instead of 
taking ship and sailing directly to Syria he returned by the way he had 
come. And thus he escaped once more fromi the hatred of his foes. 


STORY 23 

THE FAITHFUL MISSIONARY AND HIS LAST FAREWELL 

Acts 20:5-21:17 

From Macedonia, Pa,ul sailed across the sea to Troas, the city 
where he had seem a vision of a man of Macedonia calling for help. 
In this city he stayed for some days, then he made ready to start again 
toward Jerusalem. 

On the night before leaving Troas, Paul preached a farewell ser- 
mon to the believers who lived in that city. They met together in a 
large room on the third floor, and here they broke bread in memory 
of the special supper that Jesus ate with his disciples before he was 
crucified. Then Paul talked to them until midnight; for he knew he 
should never see them again and he had many things to say before 
he should go away forever. 

While Paul was talking, a young man named Eutychus sat in an 
open window listening. After some time he grew sleepy and began to 
nod. Then he fell into a deep sleep and sank dowta on the window-sill. 
Losing his balance soon afterwards, he dropped from the window to 
the ground below. Friends rushed down the stairs and found that 


584 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


the fall had killed him. Then Paul went down to them and saw them 
weeping. He fell on the lifeless body, embraced it, and said to those 
who stood near, 4 ‘Do not be troubled, for his life is yet in him. ” 

After this had happened Paul returned to the company of believ- 
ers upstairs and took food with them. He then continued his talk until 
break of day, when he bade them farewell and departed. They brought 
again into the assembly the young man who had fallen from the win- 
dow. And the believers rejoiced to see him alive. 

PauPs next farewell-meeting was with the men Who had come 
from Ephesus to the seacoast to meet him. These men were the ones 



EPHESIANS BIDDING PAUL GOOD-BY 

who had taken the leadership in the church at Ephesus when Paul 
left them. They were men whom he loved, and whom he counted faith- 
ful. They were called the “elders” of the church. 

Paul talked earnestly to these Ephesian brethren, reminding them 
of his work among them, and of his desire to teach them the whole 
word of God. He told them that now he was journeying toward Jeru- 
salem and that they should never see his face again. He said he did 
not know what would befall him in that city, only the Holy Spirit was 
Warning him of danger ahead. But he said, “None of these things 
make me afraid ; for I do* not count my life dear to myself. I am de- 
termined to finish with joy the work I have received of the Lord 
Jesus, to tell the gospel story to all men.” 


THE FAITHFUL MISSIONARY AND HIS FAREWELL 585 

Paul reminded them also of his work among them, how he had 
coveted no 1 man’s riches hut had worked with his own hands to earn 
money for his food and clothes while he preached the gospel in their 
city. And he urged them to remember the words Jesus had spoken, 
that it is more blessed to give than to receive. 

When Paul had finished speaking he knelt down with the men 
and prayed earnestly to God, then he bade them good-by. These men 
wept aloud, and embraced their beloved teacher who would never more 
return to them. Then they went with him to the ship, on which he and 
his companions sailed away toward the homeland of the Jews. 

At the seaeoast town of Tyre the ship stopped several days, and 
here Paul and his companions met some more Christians and wor- 
shiped with them. When the time came for the ship to leave port 
again, the Christians went with Paul to the seaside, and they knelt 
down on the shore to pray. Even the children of these Christian 
fathers and mothers went with Paul and his friends to the ship. The 
Holy Spirit had caused these Christians to understand that troubles 
would befall Paul in Jerusalem, and they urged him not to continue 
his journey; but he believed it would please God for him to go on. 

From Tyre the ship sailed to Caesarea, where Philip lived. This 
was the same Philip who, in the early church at Jerusalem, had been 
chosen among the seven to care for the poor widows. Afterwards he 
had preached jto the people of Samaria, and to the Ethiopian officer 
on the lonely road. Then he had gone to Caesarea, where he now made 
his home. Four of his daughters, now grown! to young womanhood, 
were also numbered among those who prophesied. 

While Paul and his fellow travelers were visiting the church in 
Caesarea, an old man named Agabus came from Jerusalem. This old 
man was a prophet, for God caused him to know things that were to 
happen after a while. When he saw Paul he took off Paul ’s girdle and 
tied it about his own hands and feet. Then he said, “So shall the 
wicked Jews at Jerusalem do to the man who owns this girdle, bind- 
ing him and giving him over to the Gentiles.” 

Paul’s friends Were greatly troubled when they heard this. They 
gathered round him, weeping, and pleaded with him to stay away from 
Jerusalem. But he answered, “Why do you weep and break my heart? 
I am ready, not only to be bound at Jerusalem, but also to die there 
for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When they saw they could not 
prevent him from going, they said, “The will of God be done.” 

Not many days afterwards Paul and his companions went over 
the mountains to the great city of the Jews. Other Christians from 


586 


BIBLE-STOEY BOOK 



Caesarea joined their company, and when they came to Jerusalem the 
elders in the church there welcomed them with joy. 


TYRE, WHERE PAUL MET WITH BRETHREN 


HOW THE PROPHET’S WORDS CAME TRUE 


587 


STORY 24 

HOW THE PROPHET’S WORDS CAME TRUE 

Acts 21:18-23:10 

Years had passed since the wicked Herod had tried to kill Peter, 
and during those years the church in Jerusalem had grown into a mul- 
titude. Some of the enemies who had killed Jesus were yet alive, and 
they hated the Christians. But they had ceased persecuting them as 
bitterly as in the first days of the early church. 

Paul had met with multitudes of believers in the churches of other 
lands. But these in Jerusalem were all Jews, and many of them looked 
with displeasure upon the people of other nations. They had not yet 
learned how God’s love reaches out to all men. And because they had 
heard much about Paul’s missionary labors among the Gentiles they 
felt unwilling to approve of his work. 

The leaders in the church at Jerusalem understood how God had 
chosen Paul to be a missionary to the Gentiles. They rejoiced to know 
that even the Gentiles might be, saved by faith in Jesus. But they 
understood also the feelings of many who worshiped in their services, 
so they warned Paul about these Jewish believers. They said, “ These 
men have heard that you do not keep the law of! Moses, but that you 
teach the Gentiles to forsake the law.” And they urged Paul to show 
these believers that he did not despise Moses’ teachings, as they sup- 
posed. 

To please these men Paul visited the temple and performed the 
ceremony of cleansing, according to Moses’ law. Almost a week passed 
by, then one day while he was in the temple some Jews from Asia 
Minor came to worship there. Seeing Paul, they recognized him at 
once, for he had taught in their synagog concerning Christ. And they 
had not accepted his teaching. They hated him because he taught 
that Gentiles as well as Jews might become the people of God. They 
became excited when they saw him worshiping in the Jewish temple, 
and they cried out against him. 

Soon the old enemies of Jesus heard about the excitement, and 
they rushed in to seize Paul. A crowd quickly gathered, and they 
pulled Paul out of the temple and shut the doors. Not waiting to drag 
him outside the city, they began beating him at once, and would' have 
killed him had not the Roman captain arrived with soldiers to investi- 
gate the trouble. 

Supposing Paul must be a desperate fellow, the captain com- 


588 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


manded that he should be bound with two heavy chains. Then he asked 
what Paul had done. But some cried one thing and some another, and 
he could not hear in the noise of the angry mob what offenses Paul was 
guilty of committing. So he led Paul away to the castle where prison- 
ers were kept. 

The mob followed, crying, “Away with him ! ’ ’ And the soldiers, 
fearing the people would tear Paul in pieces, picked him up and car- 
ried him on their shoulders to the castle stairs. As they went Paul 


asked to speak to the captain. At 
this, the Roman captain was sur- 
prized, for he did not know Paul 
could speak his language. He gave 
Paul permission to speak to the mob 
when they reached the stairs. 



Then, standing on the stairs 
above the heads of the excited fol- 
lowers, Paul beckoned to them with 
his hand, and they grew quiet. He 
began at once to talk to them in the 
Hebrew language, which the Ro- 
mans could not understand. This 
language the Jews loved, and they 


PAUL BEING BOUND 


listened attentively to him while he told them about his early life and 
training. He reminded them of his student-life in their city, where 
he became a Pharisee. He reminded them also of his former hatred 
toward the believers in Jesus, and of his bitter persecutions against 
them. Many who stood in the crowd below had not forgotten the Saul 
who tried to break up the early church in Jerusalem. 

Paul then told about his journey to Damascus, where he intended 
to persecute the Christians. He told about the vision that came to him 
on the way, and about the voice that spoke to him from heaven. He 
even told how he had been baptized in the name of Jesus, and how when 
he had come to Jerusalem to worship God showed him in a vision in 
the temple that he must go to Gentile countries and there preach the 
gospel. 

Blit when Paul began speaking about preaching to the Gentiles, 
then no longer would the people listen to his speech. Their hatred of 
Gentiles stirred their hearts to cry out once more against Paul, and 
now they even cast off their cloaks and threw dust into the air, shout- 
ing aloud, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is not fit to 

1 1 I 9 9 


HOW A YOUNG MAN SAVED HIS UNCLE’S LIFE 589 


The Roman captain and his soldiers did not understand what Paul 
had spoken to the angry people, and they supposed he must he a dan- 
gerous fellow. They therefore brought him into the castle and deter- 
mined to learn the nature of his crime. Bringing out cruel instru- 
ments of torture, they began to bind Paul. But Paul knew the law of 
the Romans, that it did not permit a Roman citizen to be punished in 
this manner, so he spoke to a soldier who stood near by and told him 
he was a Roman. This soldier hurried away to tell the chief captain, 
who came in quickly and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman V’ Paul 
answered, “I am.” 

This frightened the men who were preparing to torture Paul. 
Even the chief captain was frightened, for he had given the command 
that Paul should be bound and punished. 

Still ' the Romans were puzzled about their prisoner. They could 
not understand what terrible thing he had done. On the next day they 
called the chief rulers of the Jews to assemble together, and brought 
Paul before them. While Paul spoke the chief captain saw that even 
these Jewish rulers were not agreed what to do with him. Some wished 
to set him free, while others insisted on putting him to death. Then the 
captain sent his soldiers to take Paul away from their midst, fearing 
they might kill him. 


STORY 25 

HOW A YOUNG MAN SAVED HIS UNCLE’S LIFE 

Acts 23:11-24:27 

Paul now understood why he had been so often warned of danger 
in Jerusalem. He knew his life was not safe among his own people, 
the Jews. No doubt he felt sad, because he loved the Jews and longed 
to have them catch a glimpse of the great love of God, which reaches 
down to all men. 

On Paul's second night in the castle, while he was sleeping the 
Lord appeared to him and said, “Be of good courage, Paul; for just 
as you have spoken boldly for me in Jerusalem, you shall speak boldly 
for me in Rome. ’ ’ This encouraged Paul greatly, for he had long de- 
sired to visit Rome, the capital city of the Roman Empire, and preach 
the gospel there also. 

The enemies of Paul were not content to have him imprisoned; 
they desired to kill him. Forty of them met together and purposed to 


590 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


eat nothing until they had killed him. Then they hurried to tell the 
chief priests and other Jewish rulers about their purpose. “You can 
help us,” they said, “by asking the chief captain to send Paul down 
tomorrow so that the rulers may hear his case again. And while the 
soldiers are bringing him from the castle, we will rush upon them, 
seize Paul, and kill him.” 

Paul’s nephew heard about this wicked plan and he hurried at 
once to the castle to tell his uncle what the Jews were planning to do. 
Paul quickly called a centurion, a captain of one hundred men, and 
asked him to take his nephew to the chief captain. 4 4 The lad has some- 
thing important to tell him,” said Paul, so the centurion brought the 
young man to see the chief captain at once. 

The chief captain felt interested in Paul because he knew' this 
prisoner was a Roman Jew. Be knew also that the Jews in Jerusalem 
despised Paul for no just reason; and when he heard the young man 
tell about the plot of the Jews against Paul’s life, he said, “Do not let 
any one know you have told this to me. ’ ’ With these words he sent the 
young man away. 

Calling two centurions to him at once, the chief captain told them 
to prepare to take Paul that night to Caesarea. And to make sure of 
Paul’s safety, he commanded them to take two hundred soldiers with 
them, and seventy men on horseback, and two hundred spearmen. 
Paul, too, should be given horses to ride on. 

Then the captain wrote a letter to the Roman governor Felix, who 
lived in Caesarea, explaining why he was sending this prisoner from 
Jerusalem to him. 

At nine o’clock that night the sound of horses’ hoofs clattered on 
the pavement before the castle door. Then Paul was brought out and 
placed on one of the horses, and the small army began to move rapidly 
down the dark street. None of the Jews knew about the errand of this 
company of soldiers, and they did not guess until too late what might 
be happening to the man whom they wished to kill. 

On the next afternoon Paul was brought safely to the Roman gov- 
ernor, Felix, and the chief captain’s letter was also delivered. This 
is what Lysias, the chief captain, had written concerning Paul: “This 
man, who is al Roman, was taken by the Jews and would have been 
killed by them had I not come witn my army and rescued him. When 
I sought to know the reason why they accused him I brought him be- 
fore the council of the J ews ; but I found that they had no charge wor- 
thy of death' or even of imprisonment to bring against him. Then it 
was told me how they were plotting to take his life, therefore I have 


HOW A YOUNG MAN SAVED HIS UNCLE’S LIFE 591 


sent him to you. And I have given commandment to his accusers that 
they come before you to his trial. ’ ’ 

Felix, the Governor, asked Paul to what Roman province, or coun- 
try, he belonged, and he learned that Paul’s home was in Tarsus of 
Cilicia. Then he placed him in the palace which used to belong to 
Herod, to wait there until his trial. 

The enemies of Paul were greatly displeased when they saw how 
Lysias, the chief captain, had spoiled their plan. They arranged at 
once to go down to Caesarea to speak to Felix, accusing Paul before 
him. So the high priest, Ananias, and the Jewish elders and a lawyer 
named Tertullus hurried toi Caesarea on this mission. 

Felix brought Paul before this council. Tertullus rose to speak. 
He said many things about Paul that were not true. He called Paul 
a pestilent fellow, a trouble-maker among the Jews in every country 
where he went. Tertullus also accused Paul of being the leader of a 
new religion, which he called the sect of the Nazarenes (by this he 
referred to the church of God). 

Wheni this lawyer had finished making his complaints against 
Paul, the Governor motioned for Paul to rise and defend himself. 
Then Paul said, “ These men can not prove anything this lawyer has 
spoken against me. Only twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to 
worship God ; and they did not find me stirring up the people, but they 
seized me when I was alone in the temple. Those men who accused 
me then should have come now with their charges, if they have any- 
thing against me, for after the manner which they condemn so I wor- 
ship the God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the 
law of Moses and in the books of the prophets. And I have always 
tried to keep my heart free from wrong toward my God and toward 
all men.” 

Felix then spoke. He said he would wait until Lysias, the' chief 
captain, should also come from Jerusalem, and with those words he 
dismissed the council. He then gave Paul to a centurion, saying, “Let 
this man have his liberty, and do not forbid any of his friends from 
coming to visit him in the palace.” 

Several days later Felix called for Paul again. This time Felix’ 
wife, Drusilla, who was a Jewess, was with him, and wished to hear 
this prisoner tell about the gospel of Christ. Paul talked earnestly 
to these two, and while he talked Felix trembled because of his great 
sins. He knew he was guilty before God, and he became afraid. But 
he did not wish to humble his proud heart, so he sent Paul away, say- 
ing, “Some other day I will call again for you.” 


592 


BIBLE-STQRY BOOK 


Two years passed by, and during this time Paul was kept in 
Caesarea as a prisoner. He was given many privileges, and often Felix 
called for him, hoping that Paul’s friends might notice the interest he 
took in Paul and offer him money to set Paul free. He knew Paul did 
not deserve to be kept a prisoner, still he refused to let him go. After 
the two years had passed Felix w<as taken away and a ne\y governor 
was sent to Caesarea. And wishing to please the Jews before leaving 
their country, Felix left Paul in prison. 


STORY 26 

A KING LISTENS TO PAUL’S STORY 

Acts 25, 26 

After Felix went to Pome a new governor was sent to take his 
place. This new governor was called Festus. 

How, Festus was also a Roman as was Felix. He was unacquainted 
with the Jews and knew little about their customs, religion, and such 
things. He went to visit Jerusalem three days after he arrived in 
Caesarea; for there he could. learn mlore about the people he had come 
to govern, as Jerusalem was the Jews’ chief city. 

Several days later, after Festus had returned to Caesarea, he called 
for Paul, who had been in prison all this time, more than two 
years. And men who had come from Jerusalem! stood up to speak 
false things against Paul. But none of those things could they prove. 
The JeWs still wished to have Paul taken tq Jerusalem, hiding their 
reason. As Festus wished to please the Jewish people he said to 
Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there be- 
fore me, concerning these things of which the Jewls accuse you!” 

Paul replied, “Against the Jews I have done nothing to offend 
their law. If I have done anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die. 
I appeal to Caesar.” Festus knew that every Roman citizen had a 
right to ask this privilege, of appearing before the great ruler of all 
the Roman Empire, Caesar, so he answered, “You have asked to- be 
sent to Caesar, at Rome, and your request shall be granted. ’ ’ 

About this time some distinguished visitors came to Caesarea to 
see the new Governor. They were Agrippa, the governor of the coun- 
try east of the Jordan River, and Bernice, his sister. This Agrippa 
was sometimes called a king. During their visit Festus told them 
about Paul. He told how the Jews had accused this prisoner of some 
offense concerning their religious law, which he could not understand. 


A KING LISTENS TO PAUL’S STORY 


593 


He said also that in his trial before the Jews, Paul had spoken earn- 
estly about one named Jesus, who he said had risen from the grave. 

On the next day Agrippa and Bernice entered the judgment-hall 
with Festus. Then Festus gave command and Paul w&s brought. 
Festus rose to introduce this prisoner to the King. He said, “Be- 



PAUL SPEAKING BEFORE KING AGRIPPA 


fore you stands this man whom the multitude of Jews in Jerusalem 
have declared is not fit to live any longer. But when I found that he 
had done nothing deserving of death, and when he had expressed his 
wish toi be taken before Caesar, in Rome, I determined to send him there 
to be judged. Now, however, I have no( charge to make against him, 
therefore I have brought him before you people and especially before 
you, King Agrippa, that you may hear him and know for what purpose 
he is being held in bonds.” 

Agrippa now spoke, and said to Paul, “You are permitted to tell 
your own story before us.” 


594 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


Paul rose up, stretched out his hand on which hung the heavy 
chain, and said: 

“I am glad, 0 King, that I may speak for myself today before 
you, and tell why I am accused by the Jews. I know that you under- 
stand the customs and questions which are among the Jews, and you 
will understand my words. 

“From my youth the Jews know my life, for I wias brought up in 
their city. And if they would, they could testify that I lived among 
the strictest of the Pharisees, keeping the law of Moses as carefully 
as any of them tried to do. And now I am accused by them because 
I believe the promise which God made to our fathers, concerning Jesus 
Christ, whom God raised from the dead. 

“The time was when I, too, thought I ought to persecute those 
who believe in Jesus of Nazareth. And this I did, shutting in prison 
many of the saints who lived in Jerusalem. I even received authority 
from the high priest to persecute the saints who lived in distant cities. 
I was on my way to Damascus to persecute the Christians there when 
I saw a vision from God. It was at midday, 0 King, when suddenly 
I saw on the road a light from heaven, more dazzling than the* noon- 
day sun, and the brightness of it frightened me and my companions. 
We fell to the ground, then a voice spoke to me in the Hebrew language, 
saying, ‘Saul! Saul! why are you persecuting me?’ I cried, ‘Who 
are you, Lord?’ and the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are 
persecuting.’ That voice commanded me to stand on my feet while 
I received Jesus’ orders. And that voice told me I should tell of 
Jesus, not only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles as Well. 

“Because I have obeyed the command I received in that heavenly 
vision, 0 King, I am now being persecuted by the Jews who will not 
believe in Jesus. Again and again they have sought to kill me, but 
God has thus far delivered me from their plots, and he has given me 
strength to tell to all who come to me that Jesus is indeed the Christ 
of whom Moses and the prophets wrote.” 

Festus beheld the earnestness of this chained speaker and he de- 
cided that Paul must be crazy. Not wishing to listen longer to speech 
he could not understand, he cried out, “Paul, you are not in your 
right mind. Too much learning has made you crazy!” 

But Paul answered calmly, “I am not crazy, most noble Festus, 
but am speaking words of truth and soberness. King Agrippa knows 
these things of which I speak, therefore I talk freely to him.” Then, 
turning to Agrippa, Paul said, “King Agrippa, do you believe the 
prophets? I know that you believe.” 


THE STORY OF A SHIPWRECK 


595 


Agrippa answered, 4 ‘Almost you persuade me to be a Chris- 
tian. ” And Paul replied, “I v^ould to God that not only you but all 
who hear me today were such as I am, except this chain.’ ’ 

But the King was not ready to humble his proud heart and be- 
come a, Christian. He rose up at once and went aside with Bernice and 
Festus and others to discuss Paul’s case. He said to Festus, “This 
man has done nothing worthy of death or even of imprisonment. If 
he had not asked to be sent to Caesar he might be set free at once.” 
But now it was too late to change the arrangement, and Festus could 
not set Paul at liberty. 


STORY 27 

THE STORY OF A SHIPWRECK 

Acts 27 

A ship was leaving port at Caesarea, and among the passengers 
on board was Paul, the prisoner. As the shore faded away in the dis- 
tance, Paul saw his last glimpse of the land that is dear to the heart 
of every Jew, for never again would he return to this country. 

Paul was not the only prisoner on board that vessel. Before leav- 
ing Caesarea he and several others had been given into the keeping 
of a Roman centurion whose name was Julius. Festus had commanded 
this centurion and his soldiers to bring the prisoners safely to Rome 
and deliver them to Caesar. 

No doubt the Christians who lived in Caesarea gathered at the sea- 
shore to watch their beloved friend sail awlay toward far-off Rome. 
And no doubt they wept when they realized that Paul would not re- 
turn to them again. 

But Paul was not the only Christian among the passengers. Two 
of bis friends, Luke, the doctor, and Aristarchus, who had been with 
Paul on his third missionary journey, were also going to Rome with 
him. So they all boarded the vessel and sailed away to Italy. 

The next day after leaving port at Caesarea the ship stopped at 
Sidon, a seacoast town of Phoenicia, which is north of the homeland 
of the Jews. In this city Paul had some friends, and by this time he 
had won the respect of the Roman officer, who kindly allowed him to 
go ashore with Luke and Aristarchus and a soldier. There they visited 
for a short time with, the Christians who lived in Sidon, and then 
returned to the ship. 

Their next stopping-place was at Myra, a city on the southern 


596 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


coast of Asia Minor. Here the centurion found another ship ready 
to sail for Italy, and because their first vessel would not take them all 
the way he and his soldiers transferred their prisoners to this ship. 
Luke and Aristarchus also boarded this vessel, that they might con- 
tinue their journey with Paul. 

From Myra the ship left the shore and pushed out once again into 
the great Mediterranean Sea. But it made little progress, for the 
winds blew against it. Finally, after sailing many days, the passengers 
were gladdened to see the Island of Crete. Hjere they stopped in a 
harbor called the Fair Havens. 

After resting for some time the captain of the vessel thought about 
putting out to sea once more. But Paul protested, saying, 4 4 This voy- 
age will bring much! trouble upon us, for sailing at this time of the 
year is very dangerous.’ ’ He urged them to remain in that port for 
the winter. But the centurion believed they could reach another port 
not far away. And because the port at the Fair Havens was not a 
desirable place, the captain and many of the passengers were eager 
to go farther before they should stop for the winter. On the first fair 
day the ship glided out of the harbor and entered the broad sea. 

But they had not gone far when suddenly a tempestuous wind swept 
down upon them. They could not turn back, neither could they sail 
on to the port for which they wlere bound. All they could do was to 
toss about on the angry waves, not knowing how soon the ship might 
be torn to pieces. 

Now, when all too late, the captain and the centurion saw that 
Paul had spoken wisely when he urged them to remain in the harbor 
at the Fair Havens. At once they set about trying to save the) ship. 
They threw out everything that might be spared to lighten the weight 
of the vessel, and waited anxiously for the storm to pass. But the 
storm raged on. Day after day passed by and still the sky frowned 
down upon them with dark clouds and cold rains, and night after night 
came and went without one bit of light! from the moon or stars. 

One morning Paul, the prisoner, stood up on the deck and shouted 
to the sailors and passengers, trying to mahe his voice heard above 
the roar of the storm. They listened, and heard him say, ‘ ‘ Sirs, if you 
had believed me when I warned you at Crete you would not have suf- 
fered the harm of this storm. But now be of good cheer, for there 
shall be no loss of life among us, only of the ship. This I know) be- 
cause an angel of God, to whom I belong, and whom I serve, stood by 
me last night and said, 'Fear not, Paul; you must be brought before 
Caesar. And, la, the lives of all these who sail with you God has given 


THE STORY OF A SHIPWRECK 


597 


to you.’ Therefore I urge you to be of good cheer, for we shall all be 
saved alive, although ’jve shall be cast upon an island and the ship lost.” 

While the sailors had been struggling against the storm, Paul had 
been praying, and God had sent an angel to cheer him with this mes- 



PAUL’S SHIP WRECKED IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 

sage. For Paul longed to see Rome, even though he must be taken 
there with chains on his hands. 

But the storm did not cease when Paul spoke to the men, and still 
they feared they might all be drowned in the sea. When two weeks 
had passed by, one night the sailors fouiid they were nearing some 
land. They had no wlay of telling where they were, for they had 
drifted on the waves for many days, and they could not see the moon 
and stars. They could not tell whether they were nearing a rocky 
coast or a sandy beach, and not wishing to drift any nearer they threw 
the anchors overboard and waited anxiously for the morning light. 

The sailors knew the dangerous condition of the ship. They saw 
how helpless it was before the storm. They doubted whether they 
could bring it to shore. So now they planned to escape, leaving the 


598 


BIBLE-STORY BOOK 


passengers and the prisoners on board the sinking vessel. They pre- 
pared to lower a boat, as if! to cast more anchors into the sea. But 
Paul knew what they were planning to do, and he said to the cen- 
turion, “Unless these sailors stay in the ship, we can not be saved.” 

Now the Roman officer believed Paul's words, so he hastily cut 
the ropes that held the boat, allowing it to drift away into the darkness. 

When daylight was coming on Paul urged those on board to take 
food. For many days they had not eaten a proper meal, being too 
anxious to feel their hunger. Now they were weak, and Paul knew 
their bodies needed food to strengthen them. He reminded them of 
the angel's words, that not one hair of their heads should perish; and 
when he had spoken thus he took bread and gave thanks to G-od before 
them all. Then he ate of it, and the others took courage and also ate. 
After all had eaten, they threw; overboard the wheat their ship was 
carrying to Italy. And everything else that added weight to the ship 
and might be spared they threw into the sea. 

Now the daylight shone clearly enough for them to see the land 
near by. The sailors did not recognize it; but they saw a place where 
there was a sandy shore, and lifting the anchors, they tried to steer 
the ship into this place. As they went the swirling waters caught the 
ship and drove the front of it into the sand. Then the rear of the ship 
Was broken by the violent sea. 

The soldiers on board knew they must give their own lives if their 
prisoners should escape, and not wishing to do that, they urged the 
centurion to allow them to kill all the prisoners at once. But because 
the centurion loved Paul, he refused to let them do this. He com- 
manded every one who could swim to jump overboard and swim to 
land, and those who could not swim he commanded to take broken 
pieces of the ship and float upon them toward the shore. 

No time was lost, and every one, wishing to save his life, struggled 
through the water toward the sandy beach. And not one of all the two 
hundred and seventy-six on board the sinking vessel was drowned. 


STORY 28 

HOW A CHAINED PRISONER BROUGHT JOY TO ISLANDERS 

Acts 28:1-11 

On the wooded shore of the island where Paul’s ship was stranded 
stood a group of excited mien anxiously watching those who were escap- 


HOW A PRISONER BROUGHT JOY TO ISLANDERS 599 


ing from the wrecked vessel near by. These men were natives of the 
island, and they felt sorry for the strangers who had suffered ship- 
wreck. They hurried out to meet them and to help them reach the 
land. Then they built a fire, for it was still raining, and it was cold. 

Around this fire the drenched strangers gathered eagerly, for the 
sea had chilled them through. They were glad for the kindness these 
natives showed. And they learned from them the name of the island 
where they had landed. This island, called Melita, was south of Italy. 

As the strangers from the wrecked vessel stood warming round the 
fire, the natives saw that many of them were soldiers and prisoners. 
But they treated every onei kindly. Paul wished to be helpful, so he 
gathered a bundle of sticks to keep the fire burning. As he laid them 
on the fire the heat from the flames aroused to action a very poisonous 
snake which was hidden among the sticks. At once the snake sprang 
at Paul, seizing his hand with its, deadly fangs. 

The natives knew 1 Paul was a prisoner. When they saw the snake 
hanging from his hand they whispered to each other, 4 ‘This must be 
a very wicked man, whom the gods will not allow to live even though 
he has escaped from the stormy sea. ’ ’ But while they waited, expect- 
ing to see Paul’s arm swell with poison and then to see him drop over 
dead, they were surprized ; for Paul shook off the snake, and no harm 
came to him. They looked in wonder, and then said, ‘ ‘ This must be a 
god instead of a man, whom a deadly snake can not destroy. ’ ’ 

Not far from this place lived a man named Publius, who was the 
ruler of the Island. He, too, received the shipwrecked strangers kindly, 
and after Paul had not been harmed by the bite of the poisonous snake 
he invited Paul and his friends into his home. For three days he en- 
tertained them there. 

The father of Publius was lying very ill with fever and a disease 
which often causes death. When Paul heard of this he visited the 
man, and he prayed for him and healed him. 

The news of this healing quickly spread over the Island, and oth- 
ers who were suffering from diseases came to Paul, asking to be healed. 
In this way many people became| interested in the prisoner who had 
escaped from the sea, and were happy because of him. 

And so it was that Paul published the good news of Jesus wher- 
ever he went, even though he was bound by a heavy chain. And every- 
where he Went those who received the good news were made happy. 
Now the islanders as well as those who had been with Paul on the ship 
saw that God ’s power was with this good man, and they respected him. 

For three months Paul and his companions stayed on this island; 


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then when the spring days returned they took another ship and contin- 
ued their journey to Rome. 


STORY 29 

THE LAST OF PAUL’S JOURNEY, AND HIS LIFE IN ROME 

Acts 28:11-31; Philemon; C'olossians; 2 Timothy 

When the spring days returned the Roman centurion, Julius, 
placed his soldiers and prisoners on hoard a vessel that had lain all 
winter in a harbor of the Island. This vessel was bound for Italy and 
would take its passengers to the end of their journey by sea. The 
remaining distance to Rome they would travel by land. 

Paul’s two friends, Luke and Aristarchus, continued the journey 
with him from the Island. "When the ship was ready to leave the harbor, 
the kind-hearted natives brought gifts of necessary things to these 
Christian men who had taught them about the Lord. In this wfay they 
tried to show how glad they were that these men had come to them. 

A city called Puteoli, in Italy, was the last stopping-place of the 
ship. Here all the passengers landed, and those going to Rome made 
ready to start on the last stretch of their journey. 

In this city some Christians were living, and they were glad to see 
Paul and his friends. The Roman centurion allowed Paul to remain 
with these Christians for one week. 

The journey from Puteoli to Rome was made on foot, over a well- 
built highway. As Paul trudged along the road his heart felt sad. 
Perhaps he feared that he might not have malny opportunities to 
preach the gospel because he was a prisoner. Perhaps he thought that 
only a few people would be willing to listen to the words of a strange 
preacher who Was bound with a heavy chain. 

But there were some Christians living in Rome also. Paul had 
never met these Christians, although he had written a long letter to them 
before he had been captured by the Jews. In that letter he had told 
them of his desire to visit Rome and to preach the gospel there also. 

When these Roman Christians heard of Paul’s coming, they were 
very glad. Some of them started down the highway to meet him. Even 
though he was a prisoner they were happy to welcome such a good man 
to their city. And when they met the company of dusty travelers from 
Puteoli, they eagerly inquired for Paul. 


THE LAST OF PAUL'S JOURNEY; HIS LIFE IN ROME 601 


The coming of these Christians encouraged Paul very much. The 
sad feelings now left him and he thanked God for bringing him thus 
far on his long journey to Rome. He knew that he should have true 
friends in this strange city, friends who would not be ashamed of him 
even though he wore a chain. 

Julius, the centurion, gave his prisoners into the keeping of the 



THE APPIAN WAY, WHICH PAUL TRAVELED TO ROME 


captain of the guard in Romje. No doubt he told this captain about 
Paul, the prisoner who did not deserve to wear a chain, for the captain 
looked kindly upon Paul and did not cast him into the dreary prison 
but allowed him to live in a hired house. He could not take off the 
heavy chain Paul wore, for he did not have authority to do that. And 
always a soldier stayed with Paul to guard him as a prisoner. 

For two years he lived in his hired house, with first one and then 
another soldier with him, and these men learned from him the story 
of Jesus. 

Not only was Paul allowed to preach the gospel to the soldiers, but 
any one who wished might come to see him. When he) had been in 
Rome only three days he sent for the chief Jews who lived in that city. 
They came to him, and he told them how the Jews in Jerusalem had ac- 


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Cused him of wrong-doing and had caused him to be bound with that 
chain. He explained why they had become displeased with him. These 
Jews in Rome had heard nothing about Paul. They had received no 
letters from their friends in Jerusalem, accusing him of wirong-doing. 
But now they asked him to speak to them about the new religion that 
had so greatly displeased their people in the homeland. And Paul 
gladly consented to do this. 

On the day which they had appointed many Jews who lived in 
Rome came to Paul’s lodging to hear him tell the gospel story. For a 
long time they had heard about the Christians, but never had they 
heard the teachings of the new religion. And always they heard unr 
kind remarks about those who believed in Jesus. * 

Paul took the hooks of Scripture, which they knew and loved— 
the writings of Moses and of the prophets— and he explained how Je- 
sus came to earth, suffered, died on the cross for the sins of men, and 
rose from the dead, all in fulfilment of the Scriptures, which spoke 
of his coming. 

While Paul talked, the Jews listened carefully. Some of them be- 
lieved his words, and they were very glad to hear that God’s promised 
gift to men had really come. But many others shook their heads and 
said, “We do not believe this teaching.” 

When Paul saw that many would not believe he said, “It is just as 
the Holy Spirit spoke by the prophet Isaiah, saying, ‘The heart of this 
people has grown hard, and their ears will not hear my words.’ But 
the Gentiles,” said Paul, “will hear and believe the salvation which 
God has sent to all men.” 

As a prisoner in Rome, Paul taught many people about Jesus. He 
also wrote letters to the Christians who lived in other cities where he 
had preached. Some of these letters we have today in our Bibles. 
They are called epistles. 

One day while in Rome, Paul chanced to mleet with a runaway 
slave, named Onesimus. This runaway belonged to a man who lived 
in Colosse, in Asia Minor, and who was a Christian and a friend of 
Paul’s. Many people in those days owned slaves, just as farmers now 
own horses and cattle and sheep. They bought and sold these slaves, 
men, Women, and children, just as people buy animals today. But 
Olnesimus had run away from his master, and had come all the long 
distance to Rome. 

Paul talked kindly to this runaway, and finally he helped Onesi- 
mus to find God. How happy this poor slave became when he knew 
the joy which salvation brings! He longed to stay with Paul and to 



THE LAST OF PAUL’S JOURNEY; HIS LIFE IN ROME 603 

learn more about Jesus. He liked to do acts of kindness for this 
chained prisoner who had done so much for him. But Onesimus knew 
he belonged to Philemon, who lived in Colosse, and from whom he had 
run away, so he decided to return again to his master. 

Paul loved this slave who had become a Christian. He knew how 
cruelly the law treated runaway slaves when they were captured; but 
lie believed that Philemon would not treat Onesimus so unkindly. He 
wrote a letter to Philemon and sent it by Onesimus. In this letter he 


THE RUINS OF ROME’S ANCIENT FORUM. WHERE JUSTICE 
WAS ADMINISTERED 

told Philemon about the helpful deeds this slave had done for him since 
they had met in Rome. He urged Philemon to wielcome Onesimus as a 
brother, not as a wicked runaway, for God had saved him from his 
sins and now he, too, was a Christian. This letter to Philemon we have 
in our Bibles. Onesimus also delivered the letter Paul wrote to the 
church at Colosse, and that letter we have in our Bibles, too. 

The Acts of the Apostles does not tell us any more about Paul, 
nor about the other apostles. But history tells us that Paul was finally 
killed by the wicked Nero, who was ruler of Rome. Not long before 
Paul was killed he wrote a letter to Timothy, the young man whom he 
loved as his own son. In this letter he said that soon he must die. He 
did not seem discouraged, but rejoiced because he had worked faith- 



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fully for God. And he said, “ I am now reaidy to be offered.” He told 
Timothy that a crown of righteousness was waiting for him in heaven, 
and not only for him but for every one who loves the Lord and desires 
to see him. This beautiful letter is also in our Bibles, and the words 
Paul wrote to Timothy encourage every Christian who reads them. 


STORY 30 

THINGS WE LEARN FROM THE EPISTLES 

The Epistles 

Not all the letters, or epistles, that we find in the New Testament 
were written by Paul. Two were written by Peter, three by John, the 
beloved disciple of Jesus, one by James, and one by Jude. 

In these epistles we learn about the teachings of the preachers in 
the early church. We learn how they depended on God to help them 
teach rightly. And we learn that their letters were intended to be 
read, not only by those to whom they were written, but by all who hear 
the word of God even today. 

Many parts of the gospel which are not explained in the stories 
of Jesus are told clearly in these letters. Here we learn that all peo- 
ple are sinners who have been born into the world since Adam and 
Eve sinned against God. We learn that every one deserves to be pun- 
ished for his sins, but because God loves sinners he planned a way to 
save them from punishment. He) gaye his only Son, Jesus, to be pun- 
ished in their stead, that every guilty sinner might go free from 
punishment. 

But we learn also that not every sinner will be saved from pun- 
ishment. Only those who believe that Jesus died for their sins will 
be saved. Those who refuse to believe in Jesus will die in their sins. 
For it is by believing in Jesus that his blood washes away the stains 
which sin has made on the souls of men and women. And those who 
do not believe can not have the stains of their sins wlashed away. 

Another thing these epistles, or letters, teach us is how Christians 
live. We learn in them that Christians are honest, good to the poor, 
willing to sutler for J esus ’ sake, kind to those who treat them wrongly, 
always ready to forgive their enemies, love one another, and try to 
lead others to Christ. We learn that Christians are a happy people ; 


THINGS WE LEARN FROM THE, EPISTLES 


605 


for God gives them joy that sinners know nothing about. This joy 
comes into their hearts when they believe that Jesus washes away their 
sins with his blood. Sinners do not believe this, and they can not un- 
derstand the Christian’s joy. Always they feel guilty before God and 
afraid to die. 

We learn in these epistles that some day Jesus is coming again. 
When he comes he will take with him all those who believe in him, and 
they shall dwell with him forever. In that day all who are lying in 
their graves asleep in death will Waken, for a great trumpet will blow 
which will be heard in every part of the world. And those who died 
believing in Jesus will rise to meet him in the clouds of the sky. Those 
who did not believe in Jesus will cry out in fear when they rise from 
their graves. They will try to hide from the Lord, but nowhere shall 
they find a place. 

These epistles tell us that no one shall know when the last day 
will come, for it will come like a thief comes in the night. Just as 
Jesus warned his disciples to watch and be ready, so the epistles tell 
us to look for the coming of the Lord. 

Although many years have passed since these letters were written, 
We know their words are true. They tell us about things that are hap- 
pening now. They say that men in the last days will not believe Jesus 
is coming again, and that they will scoff at those who try to please God. 
And we find many people in the world today who do not believe in 
Jesus, and who make fun of the true religion. Such people do not be- 
lieve that God will destroy this world with fire, just as the people who 
lived before the great flood did not believe Noah’s words when he 
warned them about the rain that would come on the earth. But God 
sent the rain, and God will send the fire, which will destroy this world 
and everything in it. No wicked person will be able to hide from God, 
for every hiding-place will be burned up. 

The epistles also tell us much about God the Father, and God the 
Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are not three different 
Gods, but they are all one God v We can not understand how this is 
true, yet it is true. If we worship God the Father we must believe in 
God the Son and also in God the Holy Spirit. It is God the Holy Spirit 
who causes the sinner to feel that he should quit his wrong-doing and 
ask Jesus to forgive his sins. It is God the Holy Spirit who comes 
into the Christian’s heart to dwell. And when We pray, whether we 
call on the name of the Father or on the namie of his Son or on the name 
of the Holy Spirit, we are praying to the same God, and the same God 
Will hear and answer our prayers. 


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STORY 31 

WHAT GOD’S FAITHFUL SERVANT SAW WHILE HE WAS ON A 
LONELY ISLAND 

The Book of Revelation 

On a lonely island! far from his friends and his homeland sat an 
old man. This old man was a Jew. In his younger days he had been 
a fisherman, and his home had been near the Sea of Galilee. But one 
morning he had left his fishing-net to follow a dear friend, and always 
from that time he had tried to please this friend. The time came not 
long afterwards when this friend went awaty, to heaven; but never 
again did the young mian return to his humble toil by the seaside. 
Hereafter he became a preacher of the gospel, for his friend was Jesus, 
he was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. 

This old man was John. He was now on the lonely island becajuse 
a wicked ruler had sent him there as a prisoner. But John was not 
unhappy, although he was often lonely. He knew the time would soon 
come when death would take him out of this world of trouble. Then 
he could go to be with Jesus, his beloved master and Lord. HoWi he 
longed for that time to come! 

One day while John was on the island he sat thinking about God. 
He remembered how the Christians always met together to worship 
on that day, which they called the Lord’s day, because Jesus had risen 
from the grave on the first day of the week. While he thought about 
these things, presently he heard behind him a voice like a trumpet-blast, 
speaking. This voice said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the 
last: what you see write in a book and send to the seven churches which 
are in Asia.” 

John turned about to see who was standing behind him and speak- 
ing with such a mighty voice. And when he had turned he saw seven 
golden candlesticks and among them one standing who looked like 
Jesus. But never before, not even on the mountain-side when Jesus 
talked with Moses and Elijah, had John seen his master look like this. 
Now he was dressed in a long garment which reached his feet. About 
his chest was a girdle of gold, and in his right hand were seven stars. 
The face of Jesus shone like the noonday sun, his eyes like a flame of 
fire, and his feet shone like polished brass. When he spoke his voice 
sounded like the rushing of a mighty torrent of water. 

John fell down at the feet of Jesus as if he were dead. Then he 
felt a touch, and looking up he saw Jesus bending over him and saying, 


WHAT GOD'S SERVANT SAW 


607 


4 4 Do not be afraid ; 1 am the same one who was crucified, and who died, 
but now I am alive forevermore. Write the things that you see and 
hear and the things which shall be hereafter. ’ 9 

Jesus then told John that the se,ven stars he saw w'ere the seven 
ministers who preached to the seven churches in Asia. The seven 
golden candlesticks which he saw were the seven churches, and to these 
seven churches John should write letters. And Jesus told John what 
he should write in each letter. One of these letters he intended for the 
church at Ephesus, where Paul had preached the gospel during his 
missionary labors’. 

John faithfully wrote these letters; and they were kept safely, and 
finally copied in other books. Today we have each one of them written 
in the Book of Revelation, which is the last book of our Bible. 

After J ohn had written these letters he had a vision of the throne 
of God in heaven. Hei saw a door open in heaven and he heard the 
voice like a trumpet calling him to come up and enter the door. When 
he had entered he saw the great throne of God and around this throne 
sat twenty-four old men dressed in white and wearing crowns of gold. 
Other heavenly beings were round about, a,nd all were worshiping the 
one who sat on the throne. 

While John was looking on this wonderful sight he noticed in the 
hands of God a sealed book. And a strong angel cried out with a 
mighty voice, “ Who is able to break the seals and to open the book?” 
Then a search began in heaven, but no one was found who was worthy 
to take the book, break the seven seals, and! open it to see what was 
written inside. John wept when he saw that no one could do this. He 
longed to know what was written in the book of God. While he wept 
one of the old men who sat near the throne spoke to him and said, ‘ ‘ Do 
not weep, for, see, the Lion of the tribe of Juda(h has been able to take 
the book and open it.” John looked quickly and saw one who looked 
like a lamb. He knew it was Jesus, who had been killed like the lambs 
at Passover, and whom John the Baptist had called the Lamb of God. 
This one came to the throne and took the book. 

The heavenly beings who stood around the throne now rejoiced 
greatly, and fell down to worship before the Lamb who had taken the 
book from the right hand of God. They sang a new song, praising 
this one who took the book because he had given his own life to redeem 
them from sin and make them pure, that they might enter heaven. 

When the Lamb of God opened the book, John saw the strange 
things that were in it. These things he wrote down, that others might 
read them and know what he had seen. 


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Afterwards John saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old 
earth on which he lived seemed to pass away out of sight. Then, in the 
clouds he saw the great city of God coming down to dwell in the new 
earth. And he heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, “Behold, 
God’s house is with men and he shall dwell with them. They shall be 
his people and he himself shall be their God. And God shall wipe away 
all tears from the eyes of his people. Never again shall they weep for 
sorrow, never again shall they cry for pain, because sorrow, pain, and 
death shall be taken away from them.” 

And John saw the beautiful city of God, far more beautiful than 
anything he had ever seen on earth. And he saw there is no need of 
the sun to shine as light for the people of God, because God himself is 
their light. No shadows of night ever darken that beautiful place, for 
night does not come in heaven. 

John saw that people from every nation of earth dwelt in that city, 
people whose sins had been forgiven because they believed in Jesus. He 
saw that nothing unclean or impure entered that city, and only those 
were admitted whose names were written in heaven’s book. 

Through the city John saw a pure river of crystal water flowing, 
and along the banks of that river he saw the tree of life, on which fruit 
was always ripe. Amd the leaves of the tree were for the healing of 
the nations. 

When John saw all these things he fell down to worship at the feet 
of the angel who showed them to him. But the angel picked him up 
and said, “D'o not worship me, for I also am just a servant. Worship 
God. And blessed are they who obey his commands, for they shall 
be able to enter the gates of the beautiful city, and to eat of the fruit 
that grows on the tree of life by the banks of the river.” 

Jesus then said to John, “I have sent my angel to tell you these 
things in the churches. And whoever wishes may come and drink of 
the water of life freely, for the invitation is to all men. But only those 
who hear and obey the words of God may share the blessings of the 
heavenly city. Any one who tries to add more words to the book of 
God shail be punished, and any one who tries to take away any part 
from that book shall have his own part taken away from the book of 
life, and from the holy city.” 

Then Jesus said, “Surely I come quickly.” And John, the aged 
prisoner, replied, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” And all those who 
love God and whose hearts have been made pure by the blood of Jesus 
feel, just as John did, the desire for the coming of the Lord. 




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